Unhappy Beginnings
by The Rickaboo
Summary: [LeonTifa] Tifa's life is in shambles after Cloud's wedding, but she's not the only one who lost a lover. Maybe Leon can show her how to be broken hearted in style!
1. Bad News

**Disclaimer: **Kingdom Hearts belongs to Square-Enix and Disney.

**A/n: **Sorry if there are any typos, I got a new laptop and I'm not used to typing on this keyboard. Anyway, this is a new obsession of mine and I just had to write it out. This is a Tifa+Leon/Squall story with Aerith+Cloud, rated M for adult situations, language, and alcohol use, and it is indeed very angsty. I'm not really sure how far it'll go, I guess it depends on how many people want to read more.

Don't read if you don't like it, and don't flame me because I really don't care if it made you mad.

**Chapter One**

"_I tried so hard and you act like it was nothing…"_

The sudden creak of the door startled her, and she spun around in surprise. Clasping a hand to her chest, she reached behind her and set down the towel and glass she had been drying, trying to calm herself. She felt like a weight had hit the bottom of her stomach when she saw him standing there.

"Cloud!" She breathed, a small smile catching the corner of her mouth. _'I had hoped you wouldn't come…'_

He knew better than to try and start up a conversation with her, he simply nodded a greeting before continuing through the kitchen doorway and into the living room.

Tifa watched him go, her fist clenching around the dish towel she held behind her. After several tense moments, she forced herself to turn back around and finish drying the dishes.

"Bye, Tifa!" Aerith chirped happily, waving to her room mate as she walked towards the door.

She forced a smile and waved back, trying desperately to ignore the fact that they were holding hands. Cloud looked away just before their eyes met and Tifa felt a sharp pang go through her heart. "Bye, have fun you two!" She replied, dropping the towel beside her as her hands started shaking.

The door closed and Tifa fell to her knees staring down at the tiled floor beneath her. Tears fell quickly down her face and she wiped them away hurriedly. She had put her entire being into trying to get him to love her, she had searched everywhere for him, and now that she had found him, he had chosen Aerith. He was all she had ever wanted, she couldn't even remember having a crush on anyone else.

"Oh my gods, Tifa are you okay?"

She looked up in horror when she realized Yuffie was standing in the doorway staring at her. Pushing herself quickly to her feet, she wiped her face and turned back towards the sink, head bowed. Yuffie stared at her in shock, she had no idea Tifa even knew how to cry. She had seen a tear or two here and there, but sobbing? It didn't seem right.

"I'm fine." She plastered on that fake smile once again and looked over her shoulder at the young ninja. "You're home early."

"Yea, the store closed early tonight, some idiot was playing in the backroom and damn near burned the whole shop down." She huffed, keeping a close eye on Tifa as she took a seat at the table. That got a snicker out of Tifa, and she smiled to herself knowing she could take her mind off of whatever had been bothering her.

"By idiot do you mean 'idiots', as in you and Sora?" Tifa asked brokenly, sniffing slightly as she tried to hide the fact that she had been crying. A wide grin crossed Yuffie's face and she gave the martial artist a sly look.

"Who told you?" She asked across the table.

Tifa shrugged. "Leon might have mentioned it when he was searching the town for you in a blind fury." She said simply.

Yuffie laughed nervously. "It as all Sora's fault, I told him not go back there." She said, crossing her arms.

"Yeah, but weren't you the one that said you should see if the new elixirs were really flammable?" Tifa replied, staring the ninja down as she tried to fight the laugh that was bubbling up inside her.

"Yuffie!!"

A loud bellow from the next room and the sound of the back door slamming made both women jumped, and Yuffie shot out of her seat with a shriek. Leon dashed into the room just as Yuffie vanished out the door. He sighed heavily and leaned on the table in anger.

"I swear, one of these days that brat is going to get it." He muttered, looking over towards Tifa's surprised face.

"What happened to you?" he asked wearily, noticing her tearstained cheeks. She quickly rubbed her hands over her face.

"Oh, nothing." She replied, looking up at him. He watched her doubtfully for a moment before she changed the subject.

"So do you know what the next project is yet?" She asked.

"There are still a few houses in town that need repaired, maybe a couple that need rebuilt. We're going to do that first and move on to some sections of the city walls." He said quietly, glancing around the room.

"Where's Aerith?" He asked suddenly, the name almost startling Tifa as she stared up at him with wide eyes.

"On a date." She finally managed to say as he watched her suspiciously. "With Cloud." That last part almost made her burst into tears again, but she fought it back and forced herself to stay calm. Leon still caught the slight quiver of her jaw and her hands shaking gently on the table as she looked at him seriously.

"I see." he murmured, walking slowly over to the door. "I'm going to look for Yuffie." He said simply, giving her one last glance before stepping outside and closing the door behind him.

Moment after the door clicked closed, Tifa let her head fall heavily on the table. _'This is going to be a horrible week.'_

**x:X:x **

She knew long before she had arrived at the restaurant exactly why everyone was there. The table up ahead was filled with people, laughing, smiling, joking people. Some she had known for many years, others she had just met. Young and old, members of the Restoration Committee and people depending on the committee for their homes. At one end of the table Aerith sat leaning against Cloud, smiling happily at all of their friends as the "reunion" began. The food had long since arrived, and they had taken the time to reserve the largest table the restaurant had to offer for the mass of people who had come to celebrate. Sora and his two best friends sat at the other end of the table, and Tifa watched as someone called a toast on the recent defeat of Organization XIII.

"Don't like parties?"

The sudden voice in her ear made her jump, and she quickly turned to see Leon standing right beside her. She looked back toward the table in time to see Sora reach over and shove a bread roll in Yuffie's mouth as she explained something very loudly to Cid.

"I don't feel welcome, I shouldn't be here." She turned to leave, looking down in shock as Leon's hand gripped her wrist.

"Those two are still your two best friends, broken heart or not. If I have to be here for them, so do you." It was really more of a request than a command, but Tifa found it comforting. She followed him through the restaurant to the table and pulled out a chair for her as cheers broke out around the room.

"Tifa! You made it!" Yuffie hollered from down the table, waving excitedly to her friend. "How'd you get Leon to come?" She asked around a mouthful of food as he sat down beside her.

She just smiled and filled her wine glass, nibbling gingerly on a roll as she stared at the table. She quickly finished the wine and refilled the glass, staring at the red liquid curiously. She had never been one to drink wine, but it seemed inappropriate to start on hard liquor before the party was even over.

She refused to look up when Aerith called everyone's attention, couldn't even sneak a glance as the two at the end of the table stood up and smiled happily at each other.

"We're getting married!" Aerith cried, smiling widely at the crowd of people as cheers broke out once again.

People called out at the couple all along the table, clapping and laughing and expressing their relief that Cloud's love life wasn't hopeless after all. Leon glanced back over to Tifa in time to see her gulp down her entire glass of wine.

**x:X:x**

She saw them everywhere now when she tried to leave her apartment. Looking past the stone wall beside her, she could see them just around the corner. Aerith was laughing and Cloud was holding her in his arms again, kissing the side of her neck as she playfully tried to shove him away.

Turning sharply, Tifa dashed back up the stairs, holding up a hand to block the sun from her eyes as she ran from them. The early summer air was warm on her skin, but she ignored it as tears stung her eyes once again. Her body felt cold even as she ran along the twisting streets of Radiant Garden, dodging back and forth to avoid hitting people as her vision began to blur from the tears.

"Tifa!" She glanced over to see Yuffie and Leon standing there talking with some people, waving to her as she ran by them. She made eye contact with Leon for a split second, catching his worried look before dashing around the corner in shame.

Her friends had seen her cry, the love of her life was marrying another woman, and even worse, she would have to hear them tonight yet again. She held her hands over her ears for a moment as she remembered the squeaking of the bed, their muffled voices coming through the wall as she sat in her room late last night trying not to care.

She reached her house in record time, slamming the door and collapsing against it as she buried her face in her hands.

**x:X:x**

"Tifa, are you sure you're alright with this?" Aerith's voice grated loudly in her ears as she looked up from the catalogue again. The kind flower girl was staring down at her in worry, and she found herself hating it to her own horror. She put on that fake smile again and nodded.

"Of course, I would tell you if it wasn't." She said simply, looking back down at the colorful dresses on the page.

"But-" Aerith began as Tifa cut her off, pointing enthusiastically down at the page.

"I like this one the best, and they'll match the flowers you picked out." She beamed up at the worried brunette and handed her the catalogue.

"Oh, are you sure? I thought you didn't like light blue." She said hesitantly.

Tifa laughed, almost grimacing at how forced it really sounded. "You wouldn't like the bridesmaid dresses I'd pick out." It worked, however, as the brunette hugged the thick magazine to her chest and smiled warmly.

"Alright, I'll call the dress shop tomorrow." Aerith said happily. She walked quickly out of the room, no doubt to show Cloud what Tifa had picked. She watched her go, her face finally falling as she heard the front door close behind her.

"If you keep this up, you are going to lose you mind." She turned around to look up at the girl standing in the doorway.

"What?" She asked tiredly, resting her chin in her hand as she watched Yuffie bounce into the room and throw herself down on the couch.

"You're totally nuts about Cloud, and this whole wedding thing is killing you." The ninja stated. Tifa gave her a blank look. "It's so obvious it's ripping you apart even I can see it."

"Well, there's nothing I can do." Her chest hurt, but she ignored it, pushing herself up from her seat hurriedly.

"Where ya goin'?" Yuffie asked as she made her way out of the room.

"To find them a wedding present." She said sadly, looking back for a moment before catching the look of pity on the girl's face.

Leon watched as Tifa brushed past him out of the house, looking back up at Yuffie questioningly.

**x:X:x**

Tifa watched as people rushed back and forth, moving tables and putting up streamers as the last minute preparations were made. It had been three weeks, and she had managed to hang on until this point. Her heart ached, but she stood at the end of the chapel, clutching the white and sky blue bouquet to her chest like a shield. She had promised to be here for them, no matter how much she wanted to run away and forget about it all.

"You know, it's alright to admit you've got a problem with this."

She looked over to Cid, standing there awkwardly in his rented suit. He had replaced his cigarette once again with a toothpick, and shifted it back and forth in his mouth as he watched her.

"It doesn't matter, they'll be happy together." She said, more to herself than to him. Cid snorted and glanced over to watch some of the townspeople running to put snowy white tablecloths over the tables.

"I'm willing to bet it matters to Cloud, he does care about you ya know." It seemed weird to hear from the gummi builder, but she knew he was right. He had known them for years and should understand exactly what was happening, it seemed like everyone else did. She sighed.

"I'll be fine, really." She said quietly, smiling widely as Yuffie walked up beside her.

"I cannot believe you made me wear this. I am going to kill you." Yuffie growled through clenched teeth, gripping her bouquet in one hand like a weapon. She stumbled slightly trying to walk in the high heels Aerith had insisted she wear, and looked up sharply when Cid started laughing at her.

"You don't look so good yourself, geezer, I wouldn't be laughing if I were you." She said spitefully, waving the bouquet at him threateningly as Tifa watched with interest.

"Yuffie, you look.. Nice." She spun around, seething with ninja wrath as Sora walked up to the small group cheerfully.

Screaming broke out and Tifa quickly turned and walked away, they only had a couple more hours until the wedding would start, she needed to finish her chores. Pushing open the door to the side rooms, she noticed Leon standing near a long table. He looked up when she entered and finished setting the tall wine glasses on the table.

"I thought you weren't going to come." He said curiously, watching as she stepped forward and picked up a box set under the table for her.

"I had to…" She mumbled quietly, keeping her eyes down as she felt his gaze sweep over her.

She suddenly felt herself feeling self conscience, she didn't usually wear dresses, and combined with the high heels it was difficult to move in. She knew her face must have looked hollow, and her hair was tied back messily at the base of her neck. She opened the box and reached in, pulling out bags of confetti, candy, and thank you cards. She set them on the table and got to work filling the glasses with the confetti and candy and tying thank you cards to each one.

Leon watched her for several minutes, trying to decide if it was really his place to say anything. Finally deciding against it, he picked up several finished wedding favors and walked out of the room to set them on the tables.

An hour later, Tifa had finished her work and stood against the table staring down at it. Leon had long since taken all of the favors to place on the overly decorated tables, and she wondered how long he was going to let her stand in the empty room and mourn over the events of the day. At some point while she was standing there hoping for something to happen to stop the wedding, she had sunk down to her knees beside the table, resting her head against her arms as she gripped the edge of the table.

"Tifa." She didn't bother turning around this time as Leon kneeled down beside her.

"It's time to get ready." He said, looking up towards Yuffie, who was standing worriedly in the doorway.

She stood up quickly and stared back at her friends, they really were being patient with her. "Alright, let's go." She said, putting on her smile and walking swiftly out the door.

_End of Chapter One _


	2. Company

**Disclaimer: **KH is the property of Square-Enix and Disney…

**A/n: **Thank you so much for the reviews! I really didn't expect so much support. I'm sorry this chapter took so long, this week was really busy. But, this story has a plot now, so the next chapter should be much faster. Thanks again for the reviews, I hope you all like this chapter!

**Chapter Two**

"_Sometimes you just can't let go, no matter how much they don't love you."_

She walked down the aisle, leading the procession of bridesmaids to the alter. Her dress swept gracefully past her feet with every step, and her heart felt heavier as she smiled to her childhood friend standing up ahead. It seemed to take hours, but her feet finally clicked over the wooden steps leading up to the alter, and as she approached the handsome blonde man, her stomach lurched and she thought she might just throw up.

Tifa hesitated for a moment, though it was not even noticeable to Cloud as he gave her a nervous glance. She wanted so much to be the one to stand here, smiling happily at all of the people who had gathered for the occasion. Her feet carried her hurriedly to the left, and she took her place at the top of the steps, overlooking the entire scene. Yuffie came up beside her, followed by Kairi.

Several moments later, the bride herself appeared at the door. Tifa felt like her stomach had dropped out completely when Aerith stepped up in front of her, blocking her view of Cloud. Throughout the entire ceremony, Tifa's eyes never left the bouquet clenched tightly in her hands.

**x:X:x**

"Hey…" Leon looked over when Yuffie's nervous voice whispered in his ear.

"Have you seen Tifa?" She asked. Leon glanced around the room, but sure enough, the dark haired martial artist was no where to be seen.

"She must have gone home, I can't believe she stayed as long as she did." He replied, getting up from his seat to say goodbye to Sora, Riku, and Kairi as they started to leave. Cloud and Aerith had already snuck out to start their honeymoon, and the crowd was finally winding down for the night. Yuffie said goodbye to her friends and turned back to Leon with a worried look on her face.

"I have to go to work and I'm not gonna be home until late, so can you go check on her when you get done here?" She asked tiredly. Leon nodded as another group of people swept past them out the door.

"I'll go see how she's doing when everyone leaves." He said quietly.

**x:X:x**

Leon knew it was going to be a hectic evening when he knocked on the door and no one answered. He wouldn't usually knock before going inside, but who knows what Tifa might be getting into while she was heartbroken and alone. Looking inside cautiously, he eased the door open and stepped into the kitchen. It seemed safe enough, so he continued on to the living room, his shoes thumping loudly across the floor.

"Tifa?" He called softly.

She looked up slowly when he walked into the room, her chin resting in her hand as she sat on the couch. Tears stained her cheeks, though it seemed like he had missed the worst of her crying. Her shoulders slumped forward and there was a bottle of vodka on the table. Leon sighed and moved forward to take a seat beside her. She didn't seem to mind, so he glanced over at her for a moment as he tried to decide what to do. He knew what he was supposed to do, that is, what Yuffie would _make_ him do. He almost rolled his eyes when the image of her kicking him in the knee until he said something comforting popped into his mind.

"You know, there's more to life than mourning over what you can't have." His voice was low, and she stared at him blankly after he said it. He thought for a moment that maybe she hadn't heard him, but a small smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.

"I never thought I'd hear _you_ say something like that…" She said softly, eyes shifting over to stare off across the room.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Leon asked.

Tifa let out a half hearted laugh, waving a hand in the air. "I'm not sure…" She mumbled as she leaned forward to rest her elbows on her knees.

Leon really wasn't sure what to do, he felt like he should stay for her, they were sort of friends after all. The clock on the wall above them ticked away, making him vaguely aware of how late it was getting.

"Hey Leon?" Her voice broke through the momentary silence and he was surprised at how clear it was. _'She can really hold her alcohol…' _He turned his head to peer down at her.

"What?" He asked. A small grin crept over her face and he wondered if he should just try to leave.

"Have you ever been in love?"

He felt his chest tighten painfully at the question, anyone else would have known better than to ask.

"A long time ago." He muttered softly, making her lean closer curiously to hear him.

He glanced down at her again before reaching forward and grabbing the bottle of vodka off the table. _'This is going to be a long night.'_ She watched him with interest as he took several gulps.

"Will you tell me about it?" She asked quietly.

Leon stared straight ahead thinking about it for a few moments. It had been in this very town, not even far from the house they were sitting in. His heart ached at the memory, but there was something about Tifa that said he could talk to her about it. She had a kind aura, like Aerith, only it seemed like she would actually respond instead of just saying what he would want to hear. Or maybe it was simply the fact that she looked so much like _her_…

He shrugged slightly as she tried to urge him to talk. "She died, years ago." he managed, staring down at his clasped hands to avoid her gaze. She made a slight noise and shifted in her seat, swaying gently before settling against the back of the couch.

"How?" She asked. He took another few gulps of vodka before deciding how to answer.

"It happened when the heartless first took over Hollow Bastian." He said shakily. "She didn't make it out, a lot of people didn't." Tifa stared at him sadly for a few moments, and he started to remember how much it hurt.

"Is that why you changed your name to 'Leon'? Because you couldn't save her?" She asked bravely. He wondered who had told her his real name for a moment before her touch almost made him jump. Looking down sharply, he realized she had leaned her head on his shoulder.

"That's so sad…" She breathed, taking a drink from the bottle herself. He snatched it away from her and finished it, holding it out to look through the glass bottle curiously. _'She didn't drink this whole damn thing, did she?' _

"Oh, we need more." She mumbled, slowly climbing to her feet. Leon watched her beeline across the room.

"Where are you going?" He called over to her. She waved sadly to him and he got to his feet to follow her, surprised at how quickly he had begun to feel the alcohol. It had been a while since the last time he drank.

"To the store to get more, that was my last bottle." She said it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, and as thoughts of his former love crept into his mind he began to understand why.

"Fine." He muttered, moving across the room to hold the door open for her. She gave him a small smile and slipped outside. He shook his head as he closed the door behind them, wondering exactly what he was getting himself into.

He walked several steps behind her the entire way to the store. Tifa wrapped her arms around herself against the cold night air of the city. She swayed slightly as they walked along, humming quietly and glancing back every so often to see if he was still following her. When they arrived at the small shop behind the town square, he stood halfway around the corner to wait for her. He could hear her talking happily with the ancient man that ran the store, and her uneven footsteps echoed down the street as she turned and started walking back.

"I thought you would have left by now." She said softly, not looking at him as she hugged the paper bag in her arms. _'Me too..' _He thought.

"Hm." Leon looked down at her casually, walking beside her again as she started to wander away.

Tifa was walking the opposite direction of the house, looping around the square and winding up somewhere in the middle of town, finally stopping when she reached the thick wall surrounding the city. Leon followed her patiently, glancing up and down the empty midnight streets as she explored the town. The only light nearby was the dim streetlights hovering above them in the darkness, the weak glow barely illuminating Tifa's face as she looked over at him in interest again.

There was a clatter far below them on the other side of the wall, and Leon looked down curiously when he realized Tifa had started throwing rocks over the edge. He knew he probably should have stopped her as she threw another one, but when he lifted his hand up it began to shake gently. He stared at his outstretched fingers for several moments in confusion before it slowly registered in his mind that Tifa's hand had appeared in his own.

"It's called being drunk." She said simply, a small smile creeping across her shadowed face. He shifted his gaze up to her dark eyes.

"I'm not drunk." He stated, taking his hand back and shoving it in his pocket. Tifa laughed and swayed to the side, leaning heavily on the edge of the wall.

"Do you even remember how much you drank?" She asked, turning away from him to look out over the dark expanse below them. There was no moon tonight, leaving only a dull glow along the horizon to light up the plains.

Leon refused to answer her and crossed his arms over his chest. "What are we even doing out here?" He asked, finally starting to lose patience. Tifa simply gave him another mischievous grin.

"I'm trying to enjoy myself. I don't know what you think you're doing out here." She said softly, teasing him as he began to glower at her.

"I'm leaving, I have work to do tomorrow." Leon turned and began to walk away down the street, his boots thudding softly in the still night air.

He hadn't gone far when he felt that familiar pull at the back of his mind, the conscience he tried so hard to ignore. Turning back to look at where they had stood together, he could just barely see her outline seated on the top of the wall. Her back was hunched and she rested her chin in her hand as she took several sips from the new bottle. _'She's really miserable..' _He cursed silently and slowly let himself wander back over to her side.

"Tifa…" His voice was low and comforting, but she ignored him. He waited there for a few moments before he leaned forward to look into her face.

"Come on, I'll take you home." He forced his hand to move forward and brush against her back, and she turned to look at him.

"He really used to care about me. I almost had him once, but you know what happened?" She asked shakily, staring straight into his eyes as he nervously shook his head.

"Aerith showed up." She growled, swinging her fist around and slamming it into the stone beneath her. She didn't move for a few moments and he was sure it had to hurt.

"She showed up out of nowhere, and suddenly everything was all about her…" Her voice was softer and Leon watched as she slowly slumped over onto her side, still gazing out across the darkened plains below.

"He still cares about you, Tifa. He was looking everywhere for you after the wedding." Leon said gently. _'Of course, he still left without checking your house…' _He felt sudden anger bubble up inside him, but he sighed harshly and placed a hand on Tifa's shoulder.

"He never said anything to me about the wedding. Don't you think he should have at least told me first?" She asked. Leon was getting worried, if she burst into tears again he had no idea what to do.

He cleared his throat and reached past her to grab the bottle of vodka. "Yes, he should have talked to you about it. But," He took several rushed gulps and set it down. "he was worried you would react like this. There was no way he cold have talked to you about it without hurting you more." Tifa was quiet, and he thought that maybe she had fallen asleep until she rolled over onto her back to look up at him.

"Why are you so antisocial? You should get out and relax more." She said softly, a small smile catching the corner of her mouth.

"Why do you say that?" He asked, leaning his elbow on the stone wall and resting his chin in his hand.

"Because, you're really sweet. You should have some fun for once." She grinned up at him and let out a small laugh when he gave her a dirty look.

"And what would you know about fun? You spend all day chasing Cloud around, now what are you going to do with your free time?" He replied sharply, not sure if he should feel guilty when her face fell at the mention of his name.

"Get drunk, make new friends, I don't know…" She sat up and brought her knees up to her chest, hugging them defensively.

"Why are you still here?" She asked curiously. He shifted his gaze up to her face and noticed his vision blur for a second.

"Because you need the company." He said quietly, ignoring the new urge to simply walk away and leave her there.

She smiled and laughed. "This must be new for you, I've never heard anyone talk about you purposely keeping someone company." He didn't answer, but avoided her gaze as she playfully tried to get him to look at her. She finally sighed and gave up, leaving him to look out at the glowing horizon.

A gentle breeze blew down the street, making Tifa shiver as the cold burst of air hit her bare skin. She let her legs drop back down and sat on the edge of the wall again. A thick fog was slowly beginning to cover the town, and she noticed of eerie it make the streets around them look as the already dim lights were muffled.

"What was her name?" She asked quietly, looking down at Leon as he tried to ignore her.

"Come on, I opened up to you." She leaned over and pushed him playfully, trying to get a response.

He didn't move, so she picked up her bottle and took a few drinks, handing it to him when she was done. She waited a few minutes and watched him closely, trying to determine what he was thinking.

"What was her name?" She asked persistently, sliding off the edge to land beside him and lean against the wall.

"Hm?" She leaned toward him curiously as he refused to meet her gaze.

"I'm not going to tell you." He said flatly.

"Aww, you have to tell me." She replied, leaning toward him more and making him take a step back as her arm brushed against his shoulder. She noticed the slight sway as he moved, and grinned to herself.

"I'm not going to." He said, glancing over at her seriously.

"Please?" She whined, smiling encouragingly at him. He rolled his eyes and looked away.

"Just forget I ever told you about her." He said quietly.

"But now I can't, I won't tell anyone!" He tried to turn away from her, but she moved to his other side.

"I'm not giving up, you might as well just tell me." She said, putting her hands on her hips.

"Tifa, please." He said in frustration. Her face fell again and she stepped away from him, looking down at the plains stretching out to the horizon.

"Come on, I'll take you home." He finally said, reaching forward to gently grab her arm.

He wasn't sure who's fault it was, maybe it was both of them. One of them was a little too close, turned a little too sharp, maybe he tripped, maybe she did it on purpose. But all he knew was that she was kissing him, and he was kissing her, and nothing seemed to make sense anymore.

**End of Chapter Two**


	3. Mistakes

**Disclaimer: **I don't own KH!

**A/n: **Thanks for reviewing! I really appreciate it. This chapter is the reason why this story is rated M, so if you don't want to read a lemon, skip to the end. So, happy holidays and such, please review and let me know what you thought, something about this chapter felt odd but I can't figure out what. And I know, some people are a little out of character, that should get better next chapter.

**Chapter Three**

"_It hurts whether you are here or not…"_

Her back stiffened in surprise at what she had done. It had been on impulse, simply a suggestion in the back of her mind that she eagerly acted out. It had been so many years that she had craved for this very attention, but now it was from a completely different man. She had no real idea who he was, they had just met a few months before. The alcohol had not taken over her mind so much that she was unaware of what was happening, she knew exactly what she had done, and what might happen because of it. The fact that he was kissing her back at all was surprising and terrifying in itself.

Tifa hesitated for a moment, so he did too. She could tell this was something he had been needing for a long time, the rough movements of his lips could tell her that. The way he talked about women, it sounded to her like he hadn't felt female contact since whatever had happened when the heartless took over and killed that girl.

To his own surprise, he didn't want her to stop. The worst was over, he might as well get something out of it. Moving against her gently, he pressed his body just a little closer, making her shift her weight over uncomfortably. His tongue flicked out over her bottom lip and to his surprise she smiled. Her lips parted and she let him in, the need between them almost electrifying as another sharp breeze bit into her exposed skin. She shivered violently and Leon pulled away, staring down at her with shocked eyes when he realized what he had just done.

**x:X:x**

The door slammed closed noisily behind them, startling them both for a moment as the sound echoed throughout the darkened house. Tifa stared up at him in shock as the alcohol finally found its way completely into her bloodstream, making her lose her balance clumsily and land on the floor with a thud. A deep sigh escaped Leon's lips, the closest thing to a laugh she had ever heard from him. And once again she found herself pushed down onto the floor on her back, his lips pressed against her viciously and a hand running through her hair in what she imagined was supposed to be a gentle caress. She let out a muffled moan and he grinned to himself.

"The floor is cold." She muttered, giggling slightly and shoving him off of her as his hands started to wander against his will. He stared at her numbly for a moment as his vision blurred.

He could hear her boots scrape against the floor as he stared across the room. A hand brushed over his cheek and he looked up, she was smiling again. That irritating, naïve smile. It was really starting to get annoying. And yet, he found himself drawn to it, as if she pulled him up from the floor by mere will power. He was on his feet again and she was laughing at the blank look on his face.

Her fingers wound into his and he stared at them as she pulled him forward through the living room. He tripped on the stairs and stopped himself with his free hand, glaring daggers at her as she let out another drunken giggle. Why was he even doing this? He squeezed his eyes shut in shame for a moment, not wanting to know the answer himself. It felt like his stomach had dropped out onto the floor as she pulled him up sharply, nearly forcing him along. He was certain of one thing, she was not a shy girl.

They reached the top and Tifa pulled him down a short hallway to her bedroom door, pushing him inside ahead of her so she could pull the door closed as he sprawled on the soft white carpet.

"You are so drunk." She snickered, putting her hands on her hips and posing over him for a moment. He glared up at her and growled.

"Look who's talking." Leon stared up at her as her body relaxed.

Pale moonlight filtered in through the window and she seemed to lose herself in it when her eyes drifted over the lonely little bedroom. For some reason, that slightly miserable look on her face made him uncomfortable, and he found himself looking away to examine her bedroom instead. It was hard to see in the dark, but he could tell there were a few posters pinned up on the walls, a small table beside the bed, and a dresser nearby next to a small closet door.

He heard a ruffling sound and knew she had pulled the covers back on her bed and crawled under them for warmth. After a few quiet moments he sat up and turned to look over his shoulder at her. Her eyes were pleading, she wasn't sure if she could handle being rejected again. He sighed heavily and pulled himself over to the side of the bed, pausing to take off his boots before forcing himself under the covers with her.

Her hands glided over the muscles of his chest, touching him carefully in case he decided to change his mind. He shifted slightly at the gentle touch of her fingertips, but didn't move away from her.

"Are you going to regret this tomorrow?" He asked suddenly, jarring her out of her thoughts as her eyes shot up to his in surprise.

"Of course not." She said quietly, staring right back at him seriously. He seemed content with her answer, and leaned forward slightly, letting his face brush against her soft dark hair.

It felt strange, doing something as intimate as this with someone he barely knew. He knew it was mainly because of the alcohol, had he been sober he might have left her to wander the town by herself and could have avoided such an uncomfortable situation altogether. She dipped her head down, nipping slightly at his throat as he shifted his chin up for her. Obviously pleased with his reaction, she shifted slightly and draped a leg over his body. A shiver went down her spine as she felt his rough hand brush over her leg to rest uncertainly on her thigh. She was very gentle, and for once he appreciated someone being careful toward him. He knew it wasn't right, but it seemed like too much of his life had been shattered for him to care anymore.

Tifa let out a surprised squeal as he flipped her over, pushing her forcefully against the bed and taking command. She stared up at him in interest when she realized he did not like to waste time. Her arms were forced over her head and she heard the gentle ruffle of clothing as her shirt hit the floor, his coarse hands running over her bared skin gently. A soft moan escaped her lips and he quickly silenced her with his own mouth, pushing her head back against her pillow as he allowed her to fumble with his own clothing. She had managed to get everything off but his pants, and he stopped her when she reached for them. He wasn't done with her yet.

Leon moved his face down to brush his cheek over her smooth skin, running his fingertips over her bared chest tenderly. If he was impressed with her body, he didn't show it, kissing her stomach briefly before quickly moving back up to steal another kiss from her. Her eyes widen in surprise when she felt his fingers dancing along the hem of her underwear. In one fluid motion he had pulled her skirt down past her knees, and she eagerly kicked it off to allow him to continue. His movements were rushed, and she gasped sharply as he suddenly pushed a finger into her. He didn't move for a moment, watching her reaction closely as her body stiffened and slowly relaxed again. She closed her eyes and sighed softly, it had been a long time.

He pulled it back out again and pushed it in harder, drawing out a low moan from the girl beneath him. He continued his gentle movements, watching as she began to struggle and move with him, the sensation almost too much as she started to get closer to finish. He felt some satisfaction at the desperate plea in her eyes, and removed his hand as she started to rock her hips more violently. She glared up at him and tugged roughly on the waist of his pants, slipping a hand into them before he had a chance to stop her. He exhaled sharply as her hand wrapped around the very thing he hadn't been drunk enough to let her touch. He wasn't quite sure what to do, and stared down at her smug grin as she began to tease him. Suddenly feeling uncomfortable, he grabbed her forearm and pulled her hand back out. Tifa gave him a confused look, which quickly shifted to interest when she noticed him finally rid himself of his pants.

The moment seemed to melt away to pure need and desperation, their movements blurring together almost painfully as the numbers on the clock beside them slowly ticked by. He entered her smoothly, moving with her as her back arched up in ecstasy. A choked moan pierced the dark bedroom and she slid her hands up his back. The blankets slid down with their heated movements, exposing the pale skin of his shoulders. She brushed her fingers tips over it briefly, admiring how healthy he looked. It wasn't long before he was glistening with sweat, panting softly as he rested his head against the pillow.

His gentle breath on her neck made her shiver, and she wrapped her arms around him as they rocked. Neither of them said a word as his movements became a little more sporadic, his deep voice groaning softly in her neck as she felt him shudder. Several moments later her own voice joined his in an almost joyful scream, the heat of orgasm wracking her body violently.

She felt him relax on top of her, kissing her shoulder softly in thanks. The moonlight had shifted across the room and she stared at the glow it left on the ceiling as her head began to swim. '_I can't believe that just happened.'_ She thought grimly, her thoughts instantly jumping back to a certain blonde man.

Leon shifted away from her, and she rolled over towards the wall. Her shoulders began to shake gently as she saw Cloud's disapproving face in her mind. She didn't want to cry about it anymore, but she couldn't stop the pained tears from rolling down her cheek. her back tensed sharply as she felt a hand on her waist, curling gently down her bared stomach and pulling her away from the wall. She felt him press his body up against her back, hugging her gently as she cried.

**x:X:x**

The sharp slam of the door jarred Tifa out of her sleep, and she shot up with wide, startled eyes as she clutched the blankets around her still naked body.

"Tifa! We've got-!" The flustered young ninja stopped instantly when she entered the room, her grey eyes shifting over to stare into Tifa's dark brown ones in disbelief.

Her hair was a mess, and it was fairly obvious the she was naked under the mass of blankets. The empty vodka bottle and scattered clothing was hard to miss, and Tifa turned in horror when an irritated groan sounded from under the blankets.

"Leon?!" Yuffie shrieked, staring at the brunette man in shock as he sat up and casually gathered himself, running a hand through his messy hair as he looked up at the girl.

"Never mind, I'll come back later…" It was more than Yuffie could handle, and she ran back down the stairs in embarrassment, her cheeks flushed dark red.

Leon turned his attention to the horrified girl beside him, holding her face in her hands as she tried to forget the broken memories from the night before. He didn't say a thing as he pulled his clothing back on and walked slowly out the door, glancing back at her once before disappearing into the hallway.

"Oh my god…" Tifa whimpered, pulling the blankets back over her head miserably.

**x:X:x **

She glanced around the living room cautiously before darting across to the kitchen. No one was home, and she paused in front of the refrigerator when her stomach began to growl. Her fingers had just brushed over the handle to the freezer door when the image of Leon poised above her flashed in her mind. Sweat glistened along his shoulders and face, and she heard her own voice rise up with each violent thrust. Feeling her stomach lurch, Tifa turned and rushed out the door, suddenly convinced she may never eat again.

There weren't many people along the streets on her way through town, but the few she did see waved and smiled warmly. She felt her cheeks flush and mentally slapped herself. Sure, they all knew Leon, but that didn't mean anyone but Yuffie knew about what had happened. She wasn't even sure why she felt so ashamed. It wasn't like she was dating Cloud, or would ever get the chance anyway…

Suddenly feeling guilty, she stared down at the cobblestone street beneath her, her shoes clicking softly as she walked. Her hands clasped tightly in front of her and she bit her bottom lip, determined never to cry about it again. A dark figure loomed over her for a split second before she felt something hit her shoulder. Nearly falling over from the impact, she spun around to see who had hit her. Her lips parted gently and she narrowed her eyes slightly, huffing quietly when she recognized him.

"Sephiroth…" She mumbled softly, more to herself than anyone. He stopped several feet away and braced a hand against the hilt of his sword, turning to look back at her darkly when he heard his name.

She nearly gasped when she noticed the depressed glint in his eye, only visible for a moment before it disappeared again to be replaced by his usual superior glare. It looked like he had something he desperately wanted to say to her, and she was surprised when he actually gave her a disgusted sneer.

"Still wasting your time on Strife? How do you honestly expect to get any stronger while you chase someone so weak?" He spat, turning away again and walking down the street, not waiting for her to answer him.

Tifa watched him go for a few moments, a small smile finally playing across her face when she realized it had been a Sephiroth version of a compliment. He saw her as being above Cloud, but why would he think that?

She quickly brushed it off and continued down the street towards the town square, that's where Yuffie could usually be found.

She sighed gently as she marched up the last few steps to the square, glancing around quickly for the energetic young ninja. She finally spotted her seated across the square on the wall, talking excitedly to a girl she didn't recognize. As soon as Yuffie spotted her, she said a rushed goodbye by to the other girl, apparently a coworker at the shop, and sped across the square to Tifa.

"How could you do that to me! That was definitely not something I ever needed to see!" She growled quietly. Tifa's brow furrowed and she tried her best not to lose patience with the younger girl.

"Well you didn't have to barge into my room, either." She said through gritted teeth, forcing a playful smile so she wouldn't upset Yuffie. The ninja just shook her head, waving her hands in the air for a second.

"Whatever, maybe if you had told me you were dating Leon I would have known to be careful!" She said defensively. Just hearing his name made Tifa feel slightly sick again.

"We're not dating!" She hissed back. Yuffie's eyes widened slightly and she opened her mouth t ask something when Tifa interrupted her.

"What was so important you needed to break down my bedroom door anyway?" She asked quickly, hoping Yuffie would just drop it.

"Oh, well, you know boys… It's actually kind of funny." Tifa stared down at her unamused as she started to giggle. "Sora was poking around in the castle again, checking to make sure everything was alright, and he kind of… Accidentally let some heartless loose." The grin melted off her face at Tifa's annoyed expression.

"That's it? Why do you need me? Why don't you just have Sora get rid of them again?" She asked blankly. Yuffie gave a sheepish grin and shifted from foot to foot nervously.

"'Cuz, he might have, maybe… Already left and didn't know about it." Yuffie finally mumbled. "And it might have been my fault, too, I guess. A little." Her voice got even quieter and she gave her friend a sweet smile.

"So you'll help me get rid of them again, right? And not tell Leon?" She seemed hopeful and cheery once again and Tifa sighed, slapping a hand to her face lightly.

"Sure, I'll help you." She said in defeat. She didn't have anything better to do anyway, except avoid Leon.

Yuffie clapped her hands in excitement. "Awesome! Let's get going!" She started to prance away and turned to make sure Tifa was following.

"So, why aren't you guys dating?" She asked suddenly, the question making Tifa clench a fist at her side.

"Why should we?" She asked almost angrily, forcing herself not to glare daggers at the curious girl. Yuffie shrugged slightly.

"Well, you guys always seemed to get along, I just thought, you know…" She said, her voice trailing off when she heard familiar footsteps behind her. A hand fell heavily on her shoulder and she gulped softly.

"Yuffie, what did you do?" A deep voice growled in her ear. She slowly found herself turning around to smile up at Leon's angry face.

"Nothing! I swear, I haven't gotten into any trouble yet today!" She held her hands up in front of her and glanced over at Tifa desperately, who seemed to be completely fascinated with the weapons shop all of the sudden.

"I'm watching you." He said threateningly, squeezing her shoulder roughly before releasing it. He looked over at Tifa for a moment, then quickly turned and left the square. He wasn't ready to talk to her yet.

**End of Chapter Three**


	4. Forget You

**Disclaimer: **KH II belongs to Square-Enix and Disney.

**A/n: **You may have noticed, it's been forever since I updated this. And I admit, I've been working on some new projects. Thanks for all the reviews, I really wasn't expecting this story to get any followers, but I guess I'll just have to keep writing now as long as people are reading.

**Chapter Four**

_"Sometimes running away is your only option, but is it really running away if you have someone to run to?"_

Heaving a sigh, Tifa slid down the wall to the floor. She brought her knees up and wiped the sweat from her forehead wearily. The last heartless in the hall let out a shrill screech as Yuffie's giant shuriken sliced through it, and the two watched as the creature's heart spiraled up into the air and vanished.

"Well that was a pain in the ass." Yuffie groaned, kneeling down beside Tifa on the floor.

Tifa smiled over at her and handed her a bottle of water. "Any idea how many are left?" She asked the younger girl. Yuffie paused for a moment before shaking her head timidly.

"Not really…" She said quietly, taking a long drink from the bottle before handing it back. Tifa found herself feeling sorry for the girl, she didn't mean to cause so much trouble, bad luck seemed to go out of its way to find her.

"Let's just hope none of them got into the city, if anyone gets attacked Leon's really going to have our heads." She nearly startled herself by saying his name, and she was sure if Yuffie had been paying any attention to her she would have noticed the blush that colored her face for a moment. Come to think of it, Yuffie seemed pretty interested in the end of the hallway. Tifa leaned over and crawled forward to see if there was something interesting there.

"Do you hear that?" Yuffie asked, her voice wavering worriedly as Tifa glanced at her.

She opened her mouth to tell her she didn't hear anything when the floor beneath them shook and a distant pounding echoed down the hallway to them. A curse escaped her lips instead and Yuffie's eyes shot over to her innocently, as if to ask her exactly what 'fuck' was supposed to mean in this instance. In moments, Tifa was on her feet walking cautiously down the hall to investigate. The pounding sounded far away, and she broke into a run as Yuffie called out to her from down the hall. Weaving down hallways and through doors, across a balcony and down a flight of stairs and Tifa found herself in the lift stop, across from the library. There was a sharp crack and another loud boom, and Yuffie had hardly caught up to her before she had taken the lift to the library entrance.

Huffing in exhaustion, Yuffie leaned against the table on the upstairs balcony of the library, peering down at the mess of books and broken shelves on the floor below them.

"Leon is going to kill us." She whimpered, glancing over at Tifa's shocked face as three large body heartless clambered around a broken bookshelf to one of the remaining shelves. They began to push against it and Tifa snapped out of her stupor, leaping over the banister at them. Yuffie cried out in shock and dove after her, shuriken gleaming in the light from the window as she swung it ahead of her, landing rudely on one of the creature's faces.

Tifa ducked around behind one of them, delivering a devastating kick and leaping away again as it spun around to punch the floor where she had just been. Jumping over its head, she attacked again, ducking down as it swung a giant arm above her head and shattered a section of the bookcase. Books began to fall down from the broken shelf, and Tifa stumbled as her foot was caught on a board, sending her reeling over backwards to avoid being smashed by the heartless' fist as it tried to grab her. She landed on a pile of books and scrambled to her feet, darting back in to kick the heartless in the back and send him to his knees.

"Tifa! Watch out!" Yuffie shrieked, throwing her shuriken just as the third large body swung a fist at Tifa, cutting into the creature's arm. It growled in anger and swung its arm back around, hitting Tifa in the chest as she tried to duck around behind the bookshelf. Yuffie watched in horror as her friend's limp body was throw against a bookshelf on the far wall, cracking the shelf and sending books down on top of her as she landed in a crumpled heap.

Yuffie ripped her shuriken down the back of a large body, finishing it off on her way to her best friend's side. Tifa groaned in pain as the young ninja kneeled down to throw books off of her. She cursed as she noticed the heartless lumbering up behind them, and shoved Yuffie aside as it slammed a huge fist into the floor inches away from them. Tifa rolled to the side, clutching her ribs painfully and gasping for air.

She was vaguely aware of the figure poised above her as stars exploded in her line of sight. Her head was swimming and she struggled to focus on the blurring shapes around her, but she was fairly certain of just who it was that was now screaming at Yuffie, brandishing an odd sword, and mangling the large body that had been about to demolish her. Squeezing her eyes shut as the pained screams of the heartless floated up into the air, she prayed it wasn't really him.

He was beside her now, putting Yuffie on a guilt trip and leaning over Tifa to check for any major injuries. She felt his fingertips move quickly along her ribcage, sliding down her stomach to inspect her legs for any unusual lumps where bones might be protruding. If there hadn't been three of him leaning over her, she might have tried to slap him, but given the situation she found it much easier to detach herself from reality.

"Tifa, what hurts?" Leon asked, noticing that her eyes weren't quite focused on him. She gave a small grimace, and he wondered for a moment if it was because of their awkward situation.

"I'm not sure…" She mumbled, looking away from him in disappointment when her head began to clear.

To her surprise, he pulled her up into a sitting position and slid his arms under her, lifting her gently off the ground. She glanced over his shoulder in time to catch the small smirk on Yuffie's face before it melted when he turned to glare at her.

"Yuffie, I want you to start picking up this mess. I'll be back in an hour so you can explain everything to me, so think carefully about what you're going to say." He growled threateningly. The young ninja watched miserably as he carried Tifa out the door.

**x:X:x**

Tifa looked around them suspiciously as Leon began walking in the opposite direction from they way back to town. The ceiling above them arched beautifully, and she stared around them in wonder as he carried her toward a large set of double doors.

"Where are we going?" She asked curiously, straining to focus her eyes on the scenery around them as they emerged on a balcony overlooking the mountains.

"Somewhere where we can talk." He said simply, walking along the balcony. Tifa looked up at him nervously, it had only been four days since their "party", she wasn't sure she was even ready to have a decent conversation with him yet. An awkward silence passed between them as Tifa stared out at the clear blue sky, the only clouds visible along the mountain range across the sea.

"You don't have to carry me, you know." Tifa said defensively. She regretted it immediately as he paused and dropped her on her feet, watching with interest as she cried out in pain and hit the ground like a rock.

"What was that for!" She cried out, glaring up at him and pulling herself up on the railing. She leaned over and grabbed her leg, finally noticing the long gash down the back of her knee.

"You said I didn't have to carry you, I assumed you were serious." She glared back up at him and thought she saw s smirk before it quickly vanished.

"You could have been gentle about it." She accused, nursing her wounded leg as he crouched down beside her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you." He said quietly, handing her a potion and leaning against the wall behind her. She busied herself with cleaning up her leg, too tired to fume about him any more. He watched her for several minutes before getting up again and crossing the balcony to take a seat on the thick stone railing.

The air was almost alarmingly still for how high up they were, and she stared out across the expanse in slight awe. If she hadn't been in so much pain she would have enjoyed the view, but her head was pounding and the presence of the restoration committee leader was making her somewhat flustered.

"So what are we doing out here?" Tifa asked almost bitterly, looking up at the man expectantly as he stared out across the bright balcony of the castle.

"This spot has a great view, you can't see the bay from the other side of the castle. And I was hoping we could talk about what happened the other night." He replied, looking back at her as she struggled to her feet.

"There's nothing to talk about, we were drunk, we did what drunk people tend to do. You're supposed to forget about it the next morning back where I'm from." She was getting defensive, and snapped at him. Despite her attitude, he seemed thoughtful and calm, watching as she brushed past him, limping back the way they had come.

"Well I think there is something we need to talk about." He stated, crossing his arms. Tifa stopped several feet away and sighed, leaning heavily on the railing. She slowly turned back around to face him, looking almost guilty.

There was that familiar pain in her eyes again, and Leon hesitated as he tried to think of how to phrase his question without offending her.

"You don't have to answer if you think it's too personal, but I was wondering…" He cleared his throat and Tifa watched him suspiciously. "I was wondering who you saw the night we spent together. Was it really me you saw, or was it Cloud? I was curious." He felt awkward, it hadn't come out as nonchalantly as he'd hoped.

Tifa couldn't believe what she had heard, and for a second she wasn't sure she'd heard him right. He looked over at her expectantly and she felt her cheeks flush, opening her mouth to angrily tell him off. Something stopped her, and she nearly reeled back in shock at the underlying meanings behind his question.

Without even glancing back she turned and walked as quickly as she could back into the castle, nearly dragging her injured knee behind her as she felt his eyes on the back of her head. She didn't know what was so terrifying about him and his question, the fact that she wasn't sure if it had been Cloud she had really been thinking of that night, or the possibility that Leon actually cared.

**x:X:x**

She avoided him the rest of the day, busying herself with helping Yuffie clean up the mess in the library. All the debris from the ruined shelves had been dragged into a pile in the corner, and books were stacked everywhere waiting for Cid to finish making new shelves for them. Leon came in every so often to check on them and lend help where he saw fit, usually uncomfortably close to Tifa as she tried to sort books alphabetically for when they would be put back in proper order.

After hours of sorting out books and chunks of wood, Tifa shoved open the door to her shared apartment and stared around her in the dark. Walking slowly across the kitchen, she flicked on the light and sat down wearily at the table. Minutes later, Yuffie dragged herself in behind her, nearly collapsing against the door as she closed it and yawned widely.

"What a horrible day. Nothing about that went as planned." She complained, flopping down in a chair across from Tifa and resting her head on her arms. Tifa groaned in response, finding it hard to stay awake after working so hard all day.

"Has Leon gone nuts over you or what?" Yuffie blurted out, snapping Tifa awake.

"What? I told you, we're just friends, we-" She rushed to defend herself, nearly panicking as the ninja started to giggle.

"Oh come on, Tifa, you know it's possible for 'friends' to fall for one another right?" She interrupted, smirking across the table at the flustered woman. She blushed again and buried her face in her hands miserably.

"But it's not like that! He, you know, I don't…" She peeked over at Yuffie, who was starting to seem a little frustrated.

"Leon likes you, I don't see why it's such a big deal. What's wrong with him?" She huffed, crossing her arms. Tifa wanted to melt into the floor and disappear.

"There's nothing wrong with him, I'm just not ready to think about any kind of relationship." Tifa tried to explain. Yuffie didn't seem convinced, and pushed herself up to her feet.

"You know, it took him a long time to recover, I can't believe he even let you this close. You can't dwell on Cloud forever, you might as well move on while you have someone to fill that empty space." Her voice was bitter, and Tifa was shocked as the girl walked purposefully out of the kitchen. She couldn't help but smile knowing that though Leon was so tough on her, she was still such a faithful team member.

**x:X:x**

The wind blew gently through his hair, splaying it out gracefully before he brushed it out of his face. He shoved one hand in his pocket and gestured with the other, seeming to point at Yuffie as Cid scowled from beside him. Even from her place on the opposite side of the landing platform she could hear Cid's angered bellow, shouting something rude to the poor girl as she turned and stared back at the two men with a hurt expression. Tifa's attention was drawn back to Leon when he put a hand on Cid's shoulder, shaking his head and saying something that made the older man look a bit guilty.

A happy squeal from the young ninja nearly started her out of her thoughts, but she forced her gaze to stay on Leon as Cid made his way forward after Yuffie. The brunette didn't move, crossing his arms and gazing after his friends somberly. To Tifa's horror, with the other two gone, she found him staring right back at her.

He was walking towards her now, and she looked away. She had only really been staring at him to keep her mind off the real reason they were all gathered around the landing platform, she wasn't sure how much she wanted to talk to him after what Yuffie had said to her.

Her eyes traveled over to the only thing in the area she would rather talk to Leon than face, and she felt her heart tighten in her chest. He was smiling, holding her hand, pulling her closer as their friends gathered around them to welcome their home coming. Spiky blonde hair waved in the afternoon breeze and his eyes glittered almost unnaturally as he seemed to glance around for her. He saw her, smiled, waved, and started toward her.

Cid got in the way, Cloud paused to talk to him, and Tifa let her head fall in her lap. She didn't want to run away, she really did want to talk to him, but the entire time Aerith was hanging on his arm, and she wasn't sure she could face the other woman without someone getting hurt. If she tried to leave now, it would be obvious that she was upset, everyone would know and they would all talk about it, and she knew she couldn't face him again if he knew just how much he had really hurt her. She didn't want him to feel sorry for her, she just wanted to be left alone.

"Tifa."

Her heart nearly leapt into her throat and she held her breath, almost choking on it as she shot back up in sudden fear, nerves wrenching painfully.

Leon was, once again, standing over her, blocking the sun from her view and casting a halo around his head. She felt an involuntary smile tug at her lips when she realized what a beautiful sight he was in that instance. He held out his hand and she stared at it for a moment, deep brown eyes studying it carefully as she thought about the situation.

Glancing behind him, she could see Cloud, still held up by the others and looking over at her helplessly as he tried to fend them off to see her. Aerith tugged on his arm when he failed to answer one of Yuffie's questions, but his gaze didn't leave the martial artist as she took Leon's hand and stood up. He couldn't believe his eyes, watching intently as they turned and walked away from the group, barely catching the small smile that played across Tifa's face as she gave him a quick wave goodbye. It wasn't long before Aerith caught his startled gaze and covered her mouth with a hand in shock.

"Tifa and Leon..?" She murmured, looking over at Yuffie.

Yuffie shrugged as she watched the two disappear out the door. "I don't know, they can't seem to figure out what's going on." Her voice was casual, and Cloud glared down at her almost accusingly before pushing away from the crowd to follow them.

"He knew I wanted to talk to her and he took her away!" He growled angrily. Aerith started after him in surprise, worry etched on her face.

**End of Chapter Four**


	5. Changed My Mind

**Disclaimer: **KHII and all related content belongs to Square-Enix and Disney.

**Note:** I can't believe this uploaded, I've been having trouble and couldn't update for the longest time. But anyway, this chapter was... interesting. I'm actually having quite a bit of fun with it now, so we'll see what happens, shall we?

Reviews equal faster updates and better storyline! Thanks for all the reviews!!

**Chapter Five**

"_You forced me to let you go, please don't tell me you changed your mind."_

Her heart pounded furiously and she couldn't help but lean around to peek out the open window. Footsteps thundered down the road and paused momentarily just down the alley from her window. A few shuffled steps forward as the man glanced around at the side streets and she caught sight of his worn boots, shining dully in the bright sunlight. He hurried off in another direction and she heard him call her name. She let herself sigh in relief before resting her elbows on the window sill to feel some sunlight on her face. A soft breeze hit her skin and she smiled, this town was so peaceful, nothing at all like her home.

There was a dull thump as the man across the room from her shifted positions, his feet clunking hollowly in the empty house around them. She turned around to see how he was doing. His knees were raised and he rested his elbows on them, hands clasped thoughtfully in front of him as he stared down at the floor. He looked up when he realized she was watching him.

"Thank you." Tifa smiled over at him and scooted back down to lean against the wall. She really hadn't wanted to talk to Cloud yet. In fact, she was fairly certain she would have just thrown a fit and told him to leave her alone. Leon nodded at her in response.

"So where are we?" She asked, almost desperate to strike up a conversation. The tension in the room between them weighed down on her like a layer of sweat, and as long as they were hiding from their friends together they might as well try to get along.

Her voice reverberated in the empty house and she sat up on her knees curiously. She hadn't exactly complained when he shoved her through the front door, since it hadn't taken long for them to figure out Cloud was determined to chase them down, but it was still nice to know they hadn't just barged into someone's living room. It still smelled like raw wood, a smell she found unfamiliar since her previous home had been constructed from scraps of old metal.

"A house the restoration committee built. It's hard to determine who needs a home the most, so no one's moved in yet." He said quietly, actually seeming to enjoy her company. Tifa glanced around again and wondered what Leon's home looked like, she wasn't sure anyone in the group had ever actually _seen_ it.

"He's going to be mad when we see him again." Tifa said with a small smile. Leon shrugged slightly.

"Who cares? It's none of his business." He almost sounded offended at the mention of the swordsman. They sat there quietly for several minutes, waiting for the other to speak.

Tifa looked back down at the bare wood floor, smiling softly at it as she thought about their situation. Here she was, hiding in an empty house with a man she had a one night stand with, hoping to high heaven her childhood friend didn't find them together. She never imagined when she was younger that she might be in a situation like this, she had always pictured Cloud as being right beside her, not running down the street looking for her frantically as she hid from him.

There was another soft gust of wind from the open window and she spun around to lean out over the frame again, smiling up at the clear blue sky and enjoying the sunlight. She found herself wondering just how Aerith was going to take it when she caught up to Cloud, she suspected the entire reason she had pushed him into marriage so quickly was because she was worried Tifa might somehow steal him from her. She brushed the thought from her mind, refusing to dwell on something she couldn't change anyway. If she was going to force herself to get over him, she was going to have to stop thinking about him.

The soft sound of shuffling boots and the rustle of clothing alerted her senses and she turned to see Leon had scooted several feet closer. She had been expecting him to do _something_, but the thought of actually letting him made her slightly nervous. She had been trying to adjust to the drastic changes in her life over the past month, and only recently had she managed to begin recovering from a lifetime wasted chasing after the only guy that was never really interested.

He was leaning against the wall now, about a foot away from her as she watched him uncomfortably. A thousand different thoughts seemed to be rushing through her head, and she knew he was getting down to business. Part of her really wished they could just stay friends and maybe drinking buddies.

What scared her even more was that another part of her was absolutely thrilled at how close he was.

She didn't dare move, even as her mind screamed at her that this was the entirely wrong situation to get herself into at the moment. His breath fluttered gently against her skin and she felt his lips brush over hers, her back arching defensively as she quickly turned away. He leaned back smoothly, and she realized he had been expecting that reaction from her. She eyed him suspiciously, but he wouldn't meet her gaze this time.

"Leon, I'm sorry-" She started clumsily, not exactly sure how to explain it to him.

"It's fine." He said softly, interrupting her.

She shifted her position uncomfortably and wrapped her arms around her knees. She was slowly starting to understand the myriad of emotions she had been feeling recently. Cloud had hurt her to the point that she wasn't sure she could ever forgive him for it, and certainly wouldn't accept him now even if by some chance he came running back to her.

Leon had hurt her in an entirely different way, and she wished he could have just said no and left her alone that night. At least then things wouldn't be so awkward between them. She had thought a lot about her life, and somehow he kept coming in to it somehow. It took her a while to understand why, and she knew if she was ten years younger she would have recognized a crush when she found one instead of mulling it over for weeks and trying to dismiss it as desperation due to rejection.

She looked quickly when he got to his feet, gazing out the window for a moment before turning towards the door. He looked back to see if she was going to follow, and she wondered if he was mad at her. Regardless, she scrambled to her feet.

"I'll walk you home." He said as he opened the door, waiting for her to step out into the sunshine before following her. She nodded nervously in reply.

**x:X:x**

She couldn't sleep. Dull morning light glowed across her ceiling and she knew it must have been around six in the morning. He had been in her dream, and she had woken up and screamed in frustration. She didn't want anyone, she just wanted to be alone for a while. Or at least, that was what she kept telling herself. Letting her feet fall heavily on the cold floor, she sat up in her bed and leaned over to rest her head on her knees. One hand reached out absently and stroked the blanket, vague memories of him lying here floating through her memory. She bit her lip and punched the pillow angrily.

She _wanted_ to be with him, she couldn't hide from that fact anymore.

Tifa threw herself up off the bed, stomping towards the door before turning sharply and pacing her bedroom.

So just like that, she was going to shove Cloud from her mind and run off with the closest person to a best friend he had left.

_Well yea… _Tifa thought angrily, hand clenched in her hair. _He shoved you away like you were nothing, just fucking move on and don't look back! _She couldn't believe she was arguing with herself.

Pausing in the doorway, she eased it open and looked down the hall. Aerith had moved out into a new house several blocks away, leaving her and Yuffie to fend for themselves. She didn't miss the flower girl, it meant no more nights listening to suspicious noises from the room next to hers. Yuffie, however, seemed horribly lost when it came to the new list of chores she had been dumped with. Needless to say, the house had gone from looking like a home to looking more like someone's bachelor pad, complete with garbage hidden under tables and dead flowers in the window.

Tifa sighed and sat down on her knees, still tired despite being unable to sleep. She had spent the entire day avoiding everyone, even going so far as to sneak out her bedroom window when Aerith came looking for her. She couldn't help but feel a little guilty now, but there wasn't much she could do about it. Might as well get ready for the day. Throwing a towel over her shoulder she started for the bathroom.

**x:X:x**

It was past noon when she finally looked at a clock, not realizing she had been wandering around town for so long. It was a beautiful day, so she was happy to spend it outside getting some much needed fresh air. And she might be subconsciously looking for someone…

Come to think of it, she hadn't seen him anywhere.

She walked up the steps into the town square, glancing around quickly to see if he was there before her gaze settled on the nervous looking ninja leaning over the counter at the items shop. She perked up immediately when she saw the martial artist and slammed her palms down on the countertop.

"Tifa!" She cried, staring at her with wide eyes as she made her way over and set a hand on the counter.

"Where have you been? Everyone's been looking for you!" She howled, nearly throwing herself forward to get closer to her. Tifa looked back at her in surprise.

"Where's Leon?" She asked, forcing her self not to blush as the ninja gave her a slack jawed stare.

"Tifa, he's gone!" Yuffie blurted out, wavering her hands in the air as if to explain.

"That's why we've been looking for you! He got a call from Sora, hell broke loose on Traverse Town and he needed help, so Leon packed up and left town. I guess it's pretty bad over there. Well, it must be, for Sora to ask for help." She had started to ramble when Tifa stopped her.

"You just let him go by himself?" Tifa said accusingly. Yuffie held up her hands.

"He's extremely persuasive, he said he could handle it by himself. And personally, I wasn't keen on sitting next to him for the five hour trip." She admitted. Something behind her caught her eye and Tifa turned, barely suppressing a groan as the last person she wanted to see bounced over and smiled happily at her.

"We were looking for you." She said, as if she had no idea Tifa may have been hiding from them.

"Hi, Aerith, did you have a good trip?" She forced a smile and gritted her teeth, glancing behind her to make sure her blonde companion was nowhere to be found.

Aerith either didn't realize the level of Tifa's distaste for her or didn't care to register it, as she simply returned the smile and nodded. "Yes, it was wonderful!" She clasped her hands to her chest meaningfully and Tifa felt herself nearly vomit from the amount of sweetness pouring from the girl's soul.

"Did Yuffie tell you about Leon?" She added, tilting her head innocently and gazing at Tifa with a sly look in her eyes.

She fought back the urge to sneer at the woman she believed had ruined her life, and satisfied herself with a nod. "Yea, I just heard…" She mumbled, starting to get nervous when she noticed the grin on Aerith's lips.

"You know, Cloud is leaving this evening to help out, why don't you go along and see if there's anything you can do? You're not a bad fighter, it sounded like they could really use the help." She was being honest, but there was an underlying hint there that Tifa didn't like.

"I'll think about it." Tifa said quietly, brushing past the girl rudely and heading back towards the neighborhoods.

Aerith stared after her for a while, the hurt evident in her eyes before she quickly shook it away and turned to the bored ninja behind the shop counter.

"She's taking it really hard, isn't she?" Aerith asked softly. Yuffie looked up at her, gave her a 'no shit, Sherlock' look and sighed.

"Well chasing Cloud was kind of her life. I mean, she's been after him since they were little kids." Yuffie admitted, not feeling particularly sorry for the flower girl's bruised feelings. She knew if she had been talking to Tifa, she would have risked having her head bitten off. Aerith, however, was a bit easier to talk to.

She couldn't think of what to say. Yuffie was right, and she should have known better than to steal Cloud away from Tifa like that and expect her to smile about it. But still, she had really hoped that maybe she wouldn't be so bitter…

"Do you think she'll go to Leon?" She managed to ask, her voice nearly wavering with pent up guilt. Yuffie glanced up sharply at her, tossing the catalog she was looking at over her shoulder when it became apparent that she wasn't going to get a chance to actually work.

"I don't know, she seems pretty skittish right now to me. Maybe you should have mentioned the massive amount of beating heartless to death she would get to do." She was partly sarcastic, and partly worried. It had been a long time since she had seen Leon react to a woman like she was an actual woman and not just a team mate. Come to think of it, she didn't remember much of his former love at all, only that she looked an awful lot like Tifa.

"How long has Leon been interested?" Aerith couldn't stop herself from asking, and leaned on the countertop in near excitement. It was a big step for him, one she had been waiting anxiously for since they had been able to relax for the first time in Traverse Town. They had all been together for so long, she couldn't help but see him almost as a little brother.

"Oh come on, it's not like I've been taking notes!" Yuffie said defensively, the image of him sitting up beside Tifa that morning she barged in on them drifting back into her mind. She nearly gagged and felt a blush heat up her face. That was an image she really didn't need to keep.

**x:X:x**

"I thought you two were best friends."

Tifa clenched her fists tightly, nervous sweat nearly breaking out across her skin. She didn't turn to face him, she couldn't, her feet wouldn't move. She forced herself to relax and take a deep breath.

"If we were best friends you wouldn't be married to her, would you?" She could feel the venom dripping from her own words, and his boots thudded heavily on the stone as he took a hurt step back.

"Tifa, I-" He stopped when his fingertips brushed over her shoulder and she flinched. He let his hand drop limply to his side.

"I wouldn't have done it if I'd known it would hurt you this much. You could have said something, you know I would have listened." He said gently.

She spun on him so suddenly he stumbled back, sure she was about to leap on him in attack and try to damage something vital.

"You knew, Cloud! Did you honestly need me to fucking spell it out for you?!" She hissed, fully aware of the hot tears rolling down her reddened cheeks as his eyes widened.

He couldn't remember having ever seen her cry before, and it wasn't something he ever wanted to see again. She rubbed furiously at her face, apparently too embarrassed at being caught crying to remember to yell at him. He could only watch in dismay as the once proud and elegant martial arts expert threw herself against the nearest wall in a low and miserable slouch. The sniffles that manages to escape her were almost like screams of pain in Cloud's ears as he stared at her in near shock. Having no real idea of what to do to calm down someone who shouldn't naturally be capable of crying, he shuffled over to her and pulled her close against his chest.

She fought him at first, trying half-heartedly to push him away before finally calming down and letting him pat her back awkwardly in an attempt to quiet her.

"Tifa, I'm sorry, I never meant for things to be like this." He sighed in her ear. She slipped out of his grip and took several steps back, her cheeks a furious red from the harassment she just put them through.

"Come with me tonight, we'll go help Sora and Leon and it'll just be the four of us. It'll make you feel better." He said, holding out a gloved hand to her. "Please?" He added sweetly, trying to mimic some of the boyish charm he used to have.

He didn't hide it well, she picked up the hint of anger when he pronounced Leon's name right away. It was almost a challenge to the two of them, as if she wasn't allowed near the man. She was about to turn him down flat and walk away when that thought stopped her. If Cloud didn't want her to be with Leon, that was all the more incentive to go there and flirt with him in front of the blonde swordsman.

"When are you leaving?" She asked, her voice low and dangerous, though Cloud tried to ignore it.

"In three hours, we're meeting Cid at the gummi ship for a ride." He gave her a small smile, which she ignored, turning on her heel and walking away from him.

She would go, and she would sort out her life and see what she felt like doing with it. If that meant flirting her heart out with Leon to piss off Cloud, she would thoroughly enjoy every second of it.

What she was worried about was what might happen if he decided to flirt back…

**End of Chapter Five**


	6. Getting Better

**Disclaimer: **Please refer to chapter 5.

**Note:** Okay, there's a bit of confusion going on, which I admit I hadn't noticed before. I wouldn't normally just come out and say it, but Cloud isn't trying to hit on Tifa. You know how you get when your best friend starts dating someone you don't trust? It's like that. This chapter was a bit boring and uneventful, so I made it longer.

And as for Aerith, I really don't like her, for the same reason I'm writing this story: She stole Cloud away from Tifa! I didn't mean for her to seem OOC, it's just that in Final Fantasy VII when you're talking to her, you have the option to say Tifa is your girlfriend, and Aerith is like "Oh, that's nice. I'll pay you to follow me around and look cute!" (That's not really what she said, but damn near. Bodyguard my ass!) And through the whole game there's some conflict between Cloud and all of the girls because he flirts with them all like a womanizing bastard. So yea, when it comes to Cloud, I never saw Aerith as being sweet and innocent, because she really did seem to have a 'fuck you, Tifa!!' attitude going.

But now people are gonna be mad at me, because maybe they didn't see it that way. Oh well, this is only a fan fiction anyway, so let's just get on with the story! We're all entitled to our opinions, right??

**Chapter Six**

"_I learned to stand up for myself today, you're not angry are you?"_

She let out yet another sigh and leaned her head against the seat, staring across the gummi ship tiredly. She understood where Yuffie was coming from, sitting in a cramped ship with Cloud was not her idea of a fun five hours. He was more or less ignoring her, mostly due to the death glares she gave him whenever he tried to strike up a conversation. Her secret was out, he knew exactly how bad he had hurt her, and she derived some satisfaction from the guilt emanating from his hunched form.

He stared down at the sword across his lap, flipping it over every few minutes to inspect it repeatedly. They had only been flying for two hours and they had completely run out of things to do.

Tifa started banging the back of her head against her seat, and Cloud looked up sharply, as if disapproving of the habit she had picked up from Yuffie. She stared right back, got up from her chair, and walked purposefully past him to sit in the copilot's seat beside Cid.

She brought her knees up to her chest and crossed her ankles, leaning back and spinning the chair back and forth idly.

"Hey Cid." She mumbled. He glanced over at her and crossed his arms, waiting for her to say something.

"You know, if I was you I'd get the hell out of that apartment before you start to look like Yuffie too. That wouldn't do ya any damn good at all." He spat, an affectionate grin crossing his face moments later.

"You're so mean, Cid, there's nothing wrong with Yuffie." Tifa chided, fighting down the light blush when she realized she _was _starting to act like the energetic young ninja. She put her feet on the floor heavily, leaning forward to rest her chin in her hand.

"What's the matter, not havin' any fun?" Cid asked, noticing the bored look on her face.

"Not especially, anyone is better company than morbid newlywed boy back there." She said quietly, motioning with her head towards Cloud. Cid eyed him for a moment and smiled down at Tifa.

"Never thought I'd hear you say something like that without tearin' up." He said almost proudly. "Maybe Leon is startin' to teach ya a thing or two?"

Tifa let her forehead fall on her knees and fought the urge to blush. It really wasn't a big deal, but she still couldn't help feeling like a helpless school girl when people talked about him. That thought made her angry, and she clenched her teeth.

"No, maybe I just realized that Sephiroth would make a better boyfriend than him." She groaned menacingly. Cid stared at her in surprise for a moment before laughing at the image that popped into his head.

"Yea, but if you ever piss him off he might just stab you. Personally, I'd rather take Leon, at least he's sane." Cid laughed, dropping his cigarette in the process. Tifa couldn't help but smile.

"Why don't you at least try to talk to him, you're not eight anymore." Cid finally mumbled, looking back at Cloud's hollow expression as he stared down at his sword.

Tifa stared over at him for a few minutes before sighing yet again and getting up from her seat.

The swordsman nearly jumped in surprise when Tifa threw herself down in the seat beside him, that forced smile on her face.

"So." She said, impressed when her voice didn't waver or anything. "Why didn't you go last night?" She found herself asking, wondering why she even cared. Regardless, Cloud shrugged and glanced over at her, wondering if it was some kind of trick girls liked to pull on guys that offended them.

"I was looking for you." He said quietly.

Tifa cursed herself silently, now she felt guilty. "Why? You guys don't need my help." She replied.

"I guess I thought maybe it would be like old times, when you'd come and bail me out of trouble." He smiled over at her and she almost rolled her eyes. He was being corny to try and get back on her good side.

"You know, you're supposed to be the one bailing _me_ out of trouble." She said pointedly, quickly losing conversation ideas.

There was an uncomfortable silence for several minutes as they both stared down at the sword and listened to the gummi ships engines.

"I don't…" Cloud let out a heavy sigh and looked up at her. His lips were parted slightly as he tried to find the right words. "I don't trust him, Tifa. At least, not with you." He said softly.

She stared at him in disbelief and rolled that statement over in her head.

"What do you mean, you don't trust him with me?" She asked a little too sharply. Cloud almost winced, but looked away quickly instead.

"I mean, I don't trust him not to hurt you. Leon hasn't dated anyone in years, and there's a reason for that." He said quickly. Tifa nearly fumed at him and clenched her fists tightly.

She wanted to snap back at him, wanted to shout something along the lines of 'You had no problem hurting me yourself!', but she couldn't.

"Tifa, you never met Rinoa, did you?" His voice was almost dangerously low, and he placed a hand over her clenched fist.

"Cloud." They both looked up when Cid spun around, hand gripping the arm of his chair sharply and taking the cigarette from his mouth.

"That's not something I feel you're entitled to tell her." He said sternly, surprising them both and giving the younger man a commanding glare. Tifa glanced between the two in confusion as Cloud nodded solemnly to the older man's statement.

Cloud got up from his seat and walked down the aisle, closing himself in the only bedroom on the ship. Tifa stared after him for a moment before turning back to Cid.

"Who-"

"Ya know, that's something you should really ask Leon when we get to Traverse. Might be good for him to think about it." Cid said quickly, putting his cigarette back in his mouth and turning around again to watch the controls.

**x:X:x**

It was nighttime when they got to Traverse, as it usually was. Days here were considerably shorter than most other worlds Tifa had seen, and she dropped her bag beside her heavily to inhale the sweet scent of the humble town. Everything was unnaturally quiet, she picked that up right away as she turned to survey their new surroundings. Being out of the ship felt good, though, and she held off on getting down to work to stretch and walk forward a bit.

No one was out tonight, the streets were almost painfully quiet and empty. There weren't even any cats or dogs wandering around.

"We'd better get to the hotel, we could be noticed at any time and it would be dangerous to try and fight while we're tired." Cloud said beside her, handing her the bag she had dropped and making his way down the lamp-lit street.

The gummi ship lifted up off the ground behind her and she turned to give Cid a quick wave before hurrying after Cloud.

It wasn't very far to the hotel, and Tifa enjoyed the town as they walked along. Their footsteps echoed hollowly on the sidewalk and the sound made her nervous.

"Where are all the people?" She asked quietly, sticking close to Cloud as the tension in the air started to make her jumpy.

"Probably hiding, boarded up in their homes." He replied almost morbidly, and Tifa tried to ignore the dark tone in his voice as the hotel loomed up before them.

"Is that it?" She asked, pointing at the building as they started to draw up closer. Cloud nodded and moved forward, opening the door for her and ushering her inside.

**x:X:x**

It was still dark when Tifa's alarm clock went off, and she threw a hand at it haphazardly to shut it up. Sitting up quickly, she ran a hand through her hair and yawned. Clicking on the light, she dragged herself across the hall for a shower to wake help her wake up. She was rushed, however, and didn't waste any time. Pulling on her clothes almost before she was dry, she hurried back to her room and grabbed a brush, pulling it gently through her hair.

It was the first time she had really gotten a good look at her room, it was white with blue trim around the walls. The blankets on her bed matched the trim, and there was a small blue table against the far wall. Even the balcony outside was blue, this hotel really liked color themes.

Once she was finished getting ready for the day, she hurried over to the door past her bed and leaned against it, listening carefully. Soft snoring could be hear on the other side and she smiled triumphantly, Cloud was still asleep. She didn't want him around when she caught up with Leon.

Speaking of Leon, he had left before she even woke up. She heard him walk down the hall past her door, the sound of his boots on the wooden floor was startling after everything else was so quiet.

She closed the door carefully behind her and made her way out into the dark Traverse Town morning.

Despite it being the equivalent to 8 am in Hollow Bastion, no one was out on the streets. Apparently, it just wasn't safe. She walked down the road calmly, gazing around at the various signs for shops that graced the sides of the buildings. Everything was still deathly quiet, and she felt a shiver run up her spine as something darted out from behind a doorway only to vanish around the corner or another building.

She heard rushed footsteps and hurried forward, stepping out around the corner of the building only to let out a startled cry as the brunette nearly slammed into her.

"Whoa! Oh, hi, Tifa!" Sora cried, smiling up at her as she gripped her chest in surprise.

"Sora…" She breathed, taking a deep breath before looking over at the boy and his two constant companions.

"Where's Leon?" She blurted out when she regained herself.

"Hmm, I'm not sure. Last time we saw him he was in the third district, but we got spilt up and that was at least two hours ago." He said thoughtfully, apparently not finding it weird that she was looking for him.

"Did you come to help out too?" Sora asked happily, not seeming to notice as Donald and Goofy ran off after the heartless they had been chasing. No wonder they had gotten separated, Tifa couldn't help an amused smile.

"Yea, I did." She said, slightly disturbed at finding the boy's cheerful attitude contagious.

"Sora! Come on!" Donald shouted angrily, stomping his foot.

"Oh, good luck, Tifa!" The brunette boy waved quickly before his friends left him behind, and Tifa watched them go almost sadly.

She wished she had friends like that, she couldn't remember the last time she just sat around and enjoyed someone's company. Maybe that was why she found herself so willing to see what might happen with Leon. She took a few steps forward and looked around.

Where was the third district, anyway?

**x:X:x**

The heart burst free in a fit of sparks, floating up into the darkened sky before dissipating and leaving Tifa alone to wipe the sweat from her brow. That was the last one, what a pain in the ass this town was becoming.

But she felt like she was getting closer. At least, she was closer to where all the action was.

Tifa ran along the alleyway between the houses, barely able to see the ground beneath her feet in the darkness. She was starting to get anxious, she hadn't seen anyone since she talked to Sora nearly an hour ago. What if something had happened to them? She had no idea where she even was, but she was fairly certain it wasn't the third district. This town was a lot bigger than it looked. She came around and corner and skidded to a halt, pounding an angry fist against the wall.

There was a stone courtyard stretching out before her, and on the other side she could clearly see the hotel. She leaned her head against the wall and groaned.

Tifa barely had time to catch her breath before something slammed into her so hard she was thrown out into the courtyard. Crying out in pain as she rolled and gathered herself again, she looked up to see the open jaws of a nightmarish heartless flying at her.

A sword flashed out and cut the monster in half as Tifa stared at it, closing her eyes as the heartless vanished, its heart spiraling up into the sky. She felt a firm hand grab her arm and she looked up to see Leon pull her out of the way as another heartless slammed into the ground a few feet away.

"Watch out, these guys are fast." He said quickly, bringing his sword down across a heartless' face as it jumped in front of them.

Another one leapt up behind them and Tifa spun, crying out as she brought her fist down on the top of it's nose, slamming the wolf-like creature into the ground. There were three more that she could see, and she grinned in excitement.

Pulling out of Leon's grip, she rushed forward, not noticing the startled look on his face as he started after her.

She leapt up into the air, aiming a kick straight down at the middle heartless. It wasn't smart enough to dodge, and the stone beneath it cracked with the force of the blow as she landed on its spine. Leon stared from the sidelines as she darted around to kick another heartless in the rips, sending it flying at the other heartless.

The last one, at least, had the sense to move, and watched it's companion roll several times before stopping and trying to get up. It let out a pained whimper before collapsing again. It turned it's interest back to Tifa and charged, not noticing Leon until he had stopped it in its tracks with the gunblade through its neck.

Tifa brushed off her gloves triumphantly and took a few steps toward him.

"What are you doing here?" He asked harshly, almost not looking at her as her steps faltered and she stopped.

"I wanted to help." She said quietly, letting her hands hang loosely at her sides. He gave her a suspicious glare and she sighed.

"I wanted to… see you." She admitted with downcast eyes.

He almost dropped the gunblade, and had she been looking she would have seen him fumble with it slightly. His lips parted and he brought a hand up to brush the hair from his face. Unable to think of what to say, he let a smile cross his lips fleetingly and slowly walked over to her.

She wouldn't look up, she was afraid if she did she would lose control and blush madly, or worse. His fingertips tapped lightly on the back of her hand, testing her for a moment to see if she would reject him again, and when she didn't move he slipped his hand into hers and tugged.

"I want to show you something." He said softly in her ear.

**x:X:x**

Tifa stared down at the courtyard far below them, awed by the beautiful sight as the sun finally began to rise over Traverse Town. The air was still, despite them towering over the town, and she kicked her feet back and forth playfully as the first few beams of sunlight began to shine across her face. If she had known there was actually an easy way to get to the top of the clock tower, she would have tried it when she had woken up that morning.

Glancing over to her right, Leon was slowly creeping towards her, leaning back casually with his legs dangling over the edge of the tower. They had been sitting in silence for at least ten minutes, but she was happy with it. Neither one of them seemed to be very talkative, even around the others.

His fingers brushed through her hair and she shivered, the corner of her mouth turning up as she gave him an unconsciously affectionate grin. He braced his hand on the stone beneath him again and turned to watch the sun rise.

Cloud's words were still bothering her, though, and Tifa couldn't help but remember the rather troubling things he had said.

"Leon?" She asked softly, finding herself slightly intimidated when he turned to look back at her.

She paused for a moment, suddenly very uncomfortable. "Who's Rinoa?"

Almost immediately she regretted it, as a look crossed his face like he thought he might be sick. Quickly rolling to the side, he jumped up to his feet and walked several paces away. Tifa drew her knees up in front of her, hugging them tightly and holding her breath as she waited to see what he would do. She knew it was something she had to ask, especially now that it obviously bothered him so much.

After a few moments listening to his near frantic pacing, Tifa turned to gaze up at him sadly. He stopped mid-pace and stared down at her with a pained expression. He sighed.

"Rinoa…" He stared, looking away from her again and turning to face the bell. "She was my girlfriend, a long time ago." He said simply. He was quiet again and Tifa waited for him to elaborate.

"What happened?" She asked anxiously.

There was an extremely uncomfortable silence as Leon turned to face her, his features dark with regret.

"She died. The heartless killed her when they took over Hollow Bastion." He said darkly, his voice almost dripping with hatred toward himself. "I failed to protect her."

Tifa watched him as he sat down heavily, head in his hands as he cursed softly. The sunlight lit up the upper half of his body now, and she inched forward, unsure if she should try to comfort him or not. Deciding against it, she sat back again.

He must have loved her, she couldn't see how someone could hate themselves so much otherwise. She found the idea that he had lost a dear love too somewhat comforting, but at the same time she wished he didn't have to live with such a burden.

"What does she have to do with me?" She wondered out loud, almost cursing herself when she realized how cold that sounded.

Leon looked up as if startled, staring at her with wide eyes. He scrambled to his feet and continued to stare at her, the odd look on his face making her nervous. She was about to ask him what was wrong when he turned and walked away, disappearing down the ladder.

**End of Chapter Six**

_Sorry if there's a bunch of annoying mistakes in this chapter, I don't feel like proofreading it, I just want to update right now. I sat down and wrote this chapter out specifically for my reviewers, which goes to show I really do update faster when I get good reviews! (review moocher) _


	7. Complications

**Disclaimer: **I'm tired of writing these, go check the first chapter.

**A/n:** Well then, I can't ignore so many reviews, I'd better update. I'd also like to remind you that this story is lacking in any sort of real plot. And before I forget:

DAMN THIS CHAPTER. I can't remember how many times it's been rewritten now.

**Chapter Seven**

"_Why does life have to be so irritatingly confusing?"_

'That was stupid.' Tifa cursed herself miserably. 'Really stupid, you should have known.'

She slammed another fist into the slimy rocks beneath her, not caring that she was covered in mud and grime.

'He told you he was in love with someone who died, you're just too stupid to put two and two together and now you've pissed him off!'

Another angry punch and her knuckles started to bleed, the red liquid oozing down her gloves to drip on the rocks. At least she wasn't crying this time. It was her own fault for driving him away, he didn't choose to abandon her up there. Right?

"I thought I might find you down here."

She looked up sharply, but was too upset to register that maybe she wouldn't want to talk to him.

"He told you about Rinoa, didn't he?" Cloud sat down beside her, watching as she took out a strip of cloth and wrapped it around her blood soaked knuckles.

"Yea, a little." She mumbled, choosing to leave out the fact that he had walked away instead of actually talking to her.

"You really do look a lot like her…" Cloud said quietly, brushing a lock of hair from her face affectionately. "Just be careful, if he hurts you I'll have to kill him." He said seriously.

"That's ok, she's dead, it would be tough for him to leave me for her." Tifa snapped bitterly, unable to hold back her anger at him for being so protective. Cloud sighed but didn't try to respond, knowing better than to dig the hole deeper.

There was a long moment of silence and Tifa picked up a rock and threw it in the waterway angrily.

"We should go back, the others will be getting back soon and I know Sora wants us all to have dinner together." He finally said, climbing to his feet and offering her his hand. She didn't even look up, just continued to stare out at the dirty water.

"I'm not hungry, I think I'll just take a shower and go to bed." She replied softly, hugging herself.

"Alright, suit yourself. You know your way back, right?" He started to walk away, but didn't leave until she nodded in response.

**x:X:x**

Biting her lip, she held back a scream as the cold water suddenly bit into her skin. Slamming a hand against the wall beside the faucet, she groaned and shut the water off, deciding maybe it was high time she got out of the shower.

Reaching out carefully, she pulled back the shower curtain and stared into the small room, nearly covered in a thick layer of steam. She noticed the red tint to her skin as she stepped out and picked p her towel, but had too much on her mind to really care.

Looking down at the dirty pile of clothing on the floor, she let out a curse and realized she hadn't brought any clean clothes to wear, and putting on her grime covered ones would defeat the purpose of showering. Oh well, only one more thing to add to the list of why today was a horrible day. She wrapped the towel around her body instead and opened the door, the air in here was suffocating.

Surprisingly enough, the hall was empty as she walked across to her room. What wasn't surprising was that the cleaning lady had locked the door after her and Tifa didn't have a key.

She banged her head against the door wearily as the knob refused to turn, muttering a curse and glancing back and forth down the hall. She decided she had two options.

She could go back into the bathroom and hand wash her clothing, hang it up to dry, and sit in there cold and naked until they were dry enough to wear outside in the freezing cold so she could climb the balcony and get in her room. Or, she could sneak into someone else's room and brave the horrible cold in her towel to try and unlock her door. Why did they have to give her the only room without an adjoining door?

Deciding she was too tired to wait any longer in the bathroom, she hurried down the hall to the next door. It was Cloud's room, and she hesitated for a moment before trying to door. Breathing a sigh of relief, it refused to open and she ran to the next door. She wasn't sure who's room this was, but she hoped it wasn't Sora's as the doorknob started to turn. The door swung open slowly and she didn't even wonder why only this one was unlocked, quickly rushing inside as the hotel's front doors opened and loud voices could be heard down the hall.

She knew immediately that she should have knocked, and her cheeks flushed red as the bed squeaked and someone stood up on the other side of the room.

"Tifa…" She spun around, immediately recognizing the voice and thanking the stars that if anyone had to see her naked, it was him.

"I got locked out of my room…" She mumbled, gripping the towel around her self-consciously as Leon hesitated across the room.

"Oh." He said doubtfully, eyeing her suspiciously before deciding it would be polite to turn around.

"Would you like me to go unlock it for you?" He awkwardly asked the wall.

Tifa didn't answer right away and he turned curiously to glance over his shoulder at her. She had a strange look on her face, like she hadn't understood his question. Shaking her head slightly, she smiled.

"Yea, that would be good I guess." She said, embarrassed.

Leon nodded. "Alright, I'll be right back." He said gently, opening the balcony door and stepping outside.

The cold breeze hit Tifa like a slap in the face and she shivered, hugging herself and nearly dropping the towel. A thought ran through her head briefly, but thanks to the cold wind from the door being opened she shoved it away and ran to the bed, scrambling under the covers and shivering.

It only took a couple of moments before it registered in her head that this was Leon's bed. The sheets were slightly rumpled, and the blankets smelled strongly of him despite having only been used twice. She stiffened for a second before grabbing hold of a blanket and burying her face in it, relaxing happily in the warmth.

It didn't take him long to unlock her door and come back, opening the door again and glancing around the room for her. He noticed the lump in his bed and fought back a weary sigh. Well, he had been wanting to get her alone so he could talk to her. He had just imagined her wearing clothing. Of course, he couldn't ignore the feelings brought about by having a naked young woman huddled up in his bed.

He swallowed nervously and placed a hand on what he hoped was her waist. "Your room is unlocked." He said softly, surprised when his voice didn't waver. The blankets moved and she poked her head out from under them. She thought for a moment and smiled.

"Thanks." She said quietly, moving to push the blankets back and climb out. The cold air hit her again and she shivered violently. "How about you just go get my clothing and I stay here where it's warm." She mumbled jokingly. Leon patted her back.

"Alright." He said, happy to keep her there. She stared up at him as he started for the door again, not believing it until he slipped out into the hall.

Pulling the blankets around her body, she sat up and stared at the door, waiting for him to come back in a laugh at her for being a pervert or something.

By the time she realized he was serious, he was already in her room shoving things back into her duffel bag. Walking back out into the hall again, he opened his door and walked inside, tossing the bag on the bed in front of her.

"Get dressed and I'll buy you dinner." He said quietly, not waiting for her to respond before turning around to face the wall. Tifa smiled to herself, reaching forward to dig through the bag. She dressed in record time, even pulling out her old pair of tennis shoes when she remembered how dirty her boots were. Happy to be able to walk around d again, she snuck over and grabbed Leon's arm, tugging him back towards her.

He moved stiffly, almost holding a frightened look in his eyes, and found himself half expecting her to still be naked. She smiled up at him though, and despite his complete shock, leaned forward and kissed him.

He stared at her with wide eyes, her soft lips pressed up against his mouth. She didn't seem to mind that he wasn't sure what to do, and reached up to rest her hands on his shoulders. Before he could even think to respond, she was pulling away and he found himself unconsciously following her before pausing and inhaling sharply.

"I'm sorry." He murmured, almost jumping in surprise when he felt his hands rest peacefully on her hips. She frowned slightly.

"About what?" Tifa asked.

"Leaving you there, like that. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that." He said it quickly, and she knew it must feel strange for him to have to apologize to someone.

"It's alright, I guess. I was being nosy and-" She started, pulling away from him slightly. He grabbed her tightly and pulled her closer, not wanting that moment to end.

"No, I was being defensive. You have the right to know about something like that." He said softly and looked away for a second.

"Cloud said some things to me, I think he started to say something about Rinoa and me…" Tifa said guiltily, not sure she wanted to know. To her surprise, Leon leaned his head back and sighed.

"I see…" Leon mumbled "Maybe you do look a bit like Rinoa, but I _don't care_. So don't think about it anymore." His fingertips were brushing across her cheek in near irritation, and she forced herself to look up and smile.

**x:X:x**

Like he promised, he took her to dinner. It was nothing really special, all the restaurants were closed because of the fear of a heartless attack. The hotel's kitchen was open, however, and they sat beside a stove watching the chef cook their dinner.

It wasn't much, and they ate in almost complete silence. Their shoulder's brushed slightly and Tifa couldn't help but smile. It was the kind of thing she had always really wanted, that little girl's dream that everyone secretly had. They were sitting all alone, eating a quiet dinner after an emotionally strained afternoon, and for once she didn't have to worry about anything.

A hand brushed over her arm gently and she looked over at the man beside her. He had already finished his plate and shoved it away, and now he was watching her with a strange look in his eyes. He felt awkward, that was obvious. But he was making a serious effort to make sure she had a good time.

"Let's go for a walk." He said softly as she picked halfheartedly at what was left on her plate. She nodded and stood up, thanking the chef as he played a card game in the corner with another hotel employee.

Leon followed her out into the street, staying a comfortable distance away. after a few silent minutes Tifa reached out and took his hand, forcing him a little closer. It was cold tonight, since the sun went down around four in the afternoon, despite it being summer.

She lead the way and he followed patiently, once again happy to accompany her as she explored a city. He couldn't help but feel a little relieved that no alcohol was involved this time. They were walking slowly down the alley behind the hotel, overlooked by the balcony above.

Stopping by the edge of the waterway, Tifa jumped up to sit on a crate and look up at the sky.

"How long do you think it'll be before Sora sorts things out here?" She asked quietly, looking back over at the man now leaned against the wall.

"I don't know. Soon, I hope." He replied watching her as she shifted her gaze down to the waterway. The lights from the hotel reflected across the water, sending an eerie glow across the wall beside her.

"What happened, anyway?" She asked, looking over at him again. "I mean, why did they just suddenly appear here?"

Leon looked thoughtful for a moment, then moved over towards her from his place against the wall. "It's hard to say, but I guess one of our enemies must have unlocked the door and let them in. The fight's not over yet."

Something caught his eyes and he turned towards the back alley that was usually barricaded. There was a shuffling noise and he reached for the gunblade.

"Look out!" Sora shouted from the balcony, diving at Tifa as she spun around just a little too late. Stars exploded before her eyes and she felt like her stomach had been ripped out, collapsing forward on the stone walkway as Sora landed on the heartless. It screamed at him angrily before the sound of the keyblade striking stone echoed down the alley, seeming to drown out all other sounds.

Tifa managed to wrap an arm around her chest painfully, struggling to get up before Leon fell down beside her and stopped her. She couldn't help but notice his hands were shaking and he hesitated, making her blood run cold. Just how bad was it?

She heard the keyblade clatter against the ground as managed to turn so she could see Sora standing there, one hand wound through his hair as he stared at her with wide eyes.

"Oh…Oh god, Tifa, I didn't see him there until…" Sora said shakily.

"Get over here and help me!" Leon barked, voice wavering slightly. Tifa thought she saw blood dripping from his hands, but everything was starting to fade to black.

"No, Tifa! Stay awake! Please…" His voice faded out last, and she struggled to fight the darkness. It won easily, and she felt an uncomfortable coldness seep into her being.

**End of Chapter Seven**

_I'm sorry, it was supposed to be a lot longer, but I'm tired of rewriting seven full pages. I'm sorry it's so late, too. I'll try not to take so long with the next one, but I've been incredibly busy lately and I don't know how much time I'll have to write. If there's something wrong with this chapter feel free to let me know, I fixed what I found but it's late and I'm kinda spacey and exhausted right now._


	8. Now What

**Disclaimer: **I don't own KHII, you should know this by now.

**Note:** I'm sorry this chapter has taken so long, summer is just so exciting, ya know? Anyway, next chapter is the end! Thanks so much for sticking with it so far! Thank you for reviewing!!

**Chapter Eight**

"_It's funny, really. The closer you are to death, the more you tend to want to live."_

Her eyes slid open carefully, and she glanced around in confusion for a few quiet moments. It was dark, and took a moment for her eyes to adjust. Realization of what had happen hit her and she tried to sit up, struggling for another moment before she realized what was holding her down.

Leon was curled up beside her, with an arm wound carefully around her shoulders. He woke up when she started to struggle against him, quickly moving to press her back down against the bed.

"Tifa!" He said quickly, his voice cracking slightly. "No, don't move!"

"What happened?" She demanded, glancing around the room when he finally turned on the light. He paced the room and started to rub his face, sighing softly before coming back over to kneel beside her bed.

"You almost died is what happened!" He said darkly, resting his face in his hands. Tifa reached up to brush her fingers through his hair. He relaxed at her touch and she managed to get a glimpse of his eyes before he turned away.

"If Sora hadn't been there, I doubt I would have been able to stop the bleeding." He said harshly. "You were barely hanging on when Cid and Aerith got there. She's really the one you have to thank, if it hadn't been for her I don't think any of us would have been able to save you."

If she could sit up without pain shooting through her body, she would have jumped to her feet to slap him.

"Leon! It wasn't your fault! We were all being careless, it happens sometimes…" She knew he wasn't going to listen to her, and held out her hand with a hopeful smile.

He eyed her for a moment and she knew he was trying to determine whether or not he deserved her attention. She sighed in exasperation and he gave in, leaning down to rest his head on her chest. Tifa couldn't help but smile, it was probably the first time in years that he had let someone comfort him.

"Where are we going?" Tifa asked suspiciously. Leon had helped her prop herself up on pillows so she could see around the room, and she realized at last they were on a gummi ship.

"Back to Hollow Bastian. Sora insisted he could finish up in Traverse Town himself now, so everybody's heading home." He said softly. It was obvious he hadn't wanted to leave yet, and she knew Aerith had probably been the one to demand they all go home. She had probably said something along the lines of it being too dangerous in Traverse for them, probably told Leon he couldn't handle taking care of someone as badly injured as her.

Tifa nodded and looked up at the ceiling. She couldn't help but a feel a little sick. Hollow Bastian held so many painful memories now. She had originally gone there looking for Cloud, but finding him hadn't offered her any comfort after all. She had to fight to keep from asking him if they could just turn around and go back to Traverse.

**x:X:x**

It was too early to be drinking. Not that it stopped her.

She was sitting in the Bailey window, looking out across the blue expanse of rocks and cliffs. She took another drink from the bottle of her favorite vodka and sighed. Fottsteps sounded behind her and she didn't dare to look. She knew who it was before he even spoke, and she felt her stomach churn at the very thought of trying to explain herself to him. Even after everything they had been through, she just didn't want to see him.

"Now do you understand why I told you not to see him?" Cloud said disapprovingly. Tifa sighed, rolling her eyes as she turned to look back at him.

"Not really, he seems alright to me." She said bitterly. Cloud was playing the protective older brother, and she didn't care for it at all.

He sighed and reached forward, yanking the bottle from her hands. She glared up at him and he grimaced at it in disgust.

"Do you _want _to kill yourself? You're not even finished healing yet!" He said angrily, throwing the bottle out the window. Tifa watched in go in slight amusement, Leon had bought it for her in the first place. What interesting differences the two men in her life held. Oh well, she was already drunk anyway.

"Well apparently I'm not allowed to see Leon, so what do I have to live for?" She asked darkly, unable to hide the evil grin that tugged at her lips when she saw the horror cross his face.

"Tifa, what happened to you? You used to be so happy, and now you drink don't even care if you die." He shook his head sadly and Tifa felt the anger well up inside her.

"I don't know, maybe the only man I ever loved rubbed my face in the dirt and married my best friend!!" She shrieked, jumping to her feet. Cloud shrank back miserably, regretting his words as she paced back and forth in front of him. She finally rounded on him and he took a step back.

"No, I'm done with you. You can find yourself a new best friend, I'm done living like this." She said softly, storming past him to the stairs.

"Tifa…" He called. She didn't bother answering.

Leon was sitting at her kitchen table when she got home. She could tell he had been waiting for her, and he jumped up when she slammed open the door.

"Tifa! I was looking for you-" He was cut off when she threw herself on him and they both collapsed on the floor.

**x:X:x**

"Where are you going?" Leon asked quietly.

She had assumed he was asleep, and stopped halfway through pulling her shoe on to look down at him. The covers were pulled up to his waist, revealing his chest in the soft morning light coming in through the window. It was a beautiful sight, and for a moment she wanted to kick off her shoes and hide under the blankets with him again. Instead, she reached out and brushed her fingers across his jaw, tugging gently on a lock of hair. She smiled to herself and leaned down to kiss him.

He was hers, it was all she had ever really wanted in her life and she finally had it. She had wasted so many years on Cloud, when she could have had Leon.

"I'm going for a walk." She replied, brushing the hair out of his face. "Do you want to come?"

She thought she saw a bit of a smile, but he pulled himself out of bed and started digging around for his clothing. She took that as a yes and leaned in the doorway to wait as he pulled on his clothes.

They walked through town with their arms linked, drawing strange looks from people who had never seen Leon with a woman before. Tifa couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed, she hadn't ever really been one for showing affection in public. But she had made up her mind, and now that they were together she felt terrified that he might leave her.

They heard a crash and Tifa looked up in surprise to see Yuffie scrambling to pick up the contents of a box she had dropped. She was staring between Leon and Tifa with an astonished look on her face, and quickly turned away with an embarrassed blush.

The moment was quickly ruined when she looked up and saw Cloud standing a few paces away from Yuffie, looking at the two of them in disappointment. Aerith appeared from behind him and beamed welcome at the new couple.

"Goodmorning!" She chirped happily, not seeming to notice the heavy tension settling over the group.

Her chipper attitude seemed to irritate Cloud, and Tifa thought she saw his eye twitch as he glared at Leon. He shook his head and walked past them down the stairs. Aerith watched him go in surprise, and sighed.

"I don't know what's gotten into him. He should be happy for you two." She said sadly, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Well, who wants breakfast?" She was smiling again and Tifa smiled at her attempt to remedy the situation.

"Sure, I'm pretty hungry." She replied, glancing up at Leon. He grunted in response, still watching the stairs warily as if Cloud would run back up and attack him at any moment. Yuffie dropped the armful of goods behind the Items Shop counter and huffed.

"Well I'm starved." She declared, leading the way back down the stairs into town.

Without Cloud present, Tifa had to admit she could pretend like Aerith had never betrayed her trust. She was still as irritatingly pleasant to be around as ever, and was very good at pretending nothing was wrong. The four of them were crowded around a small café table, sipping at cups of coffee and tea.

"Well it's good to see you're feeling better!" Aerith said with a smile. Tifa nodded her thanks and looked over at Yuffie. She was staring at Leon in slight disbelief.

"I was starting to think you were allergic to women, Leon!" She blurted out, shrinking back slightly when Leon glared down at her. Aerith giggled, but seemed unaffected by his glare.

**x:X:x**

The sun had sunk low in the sky, and Tifa found herself perched once again in the window of the Bailey. It was one of her favorite placed to go and think, and today, especially, she found she had a lot to think about.

Fluttering breath on her neck brought her attention back, and she remembered the man waiting patiently for her. Leon's arms were wound around her waist, and he was resting his chin on her shoulder, looking out across the horizon while Tifa thought.

"You know what Leon?" She said loudly, startling him. He jumped slightly, lifting up his head to lean around and peer down at her.

"I hate it here." She said bitterly.

Leon was slightly surprised, relaxing his grip on her for a moment as her words sank in.

"Why do you hate it?" He asked curiously, slightly hurt. It was his home, he had lived nearly his whole life here. It was beautiful and peaceful, how could anyone hate it?

"My best friend ripped my heart out here, after I searched everywhere for him. I spent my whole life following him and trying to earn his love, and it was here that he broke my heart. I don't want to remember it anymore, I just want to get away from here." She said quietly, letting herself sink back against his chest.

"You met me here." Leon added softly.

Tifa felt her heart drop, knowing she'd offended him by telling him she didn't like his home. Regardless, he didn't release her.

The walk home seemed shorter than usual that night, and Tifa noted with an unexpected rush of happiness that she didn't have to invite Leon in. She also noted with happiness that spending the night together didn't have to involve sex.

**x:X:x**

Sora returned to Hollow Bastian a week later. Tifa saw it coming, but still wasn't sure she could handle it when he requested another dinner party. She couldn't help but feel that sometimes even people close enough to be family might not necessarily want to socialize together.

She was about to pour herself another glass of wine when Leon took the bottle away. He eyed her carefully, and when she didn't turn violent he scooted closer to her to substitute the lost alcohol.

"So it's not just engagement parties, you hate all social gatherings." He said in an amused tone. Tifa giggled, surprising herself and Cid, who gave her a suspicious glare.

"I don't _hate_ social gatherings, I just _hate_ being near Cloud." She said with a wild gesture. Leon grabbed her wrist and pulled her arm down out of sight so she couldn't hurt anyone or draw attention to her drunken self. This didn't help, however, when she immediately tried to undo his pants under the table.

"You don't hate Cloud, you're just feeling betrayed. It'll pass and then you two are going to be friends again. In the meantime, I want you to work on not becoming an alcoholic." Leon said through gritted teeth, wrenching her fingers off of his pants before something bad and rather embarrassing happened in front of all of his friends.

"Too late." Tifa giggled again and got another glare from Cid. Leon sighed and handed her a bread roll.

When he looked down toward the end of the table again, he noticed Sora and Yuffie giving him odd looks. They quickly looked away again when they realized they'd been caught, but he couldn't help the sneaking suspicion that him suddenly acquiring a girlfriend was bigger news than he knew.

That sentence ran through his mind several times on the walk home, while he supported Tifa's nearly limp body as she hobbled along. Once again, she had managed to drink herself nearly into a coma. How she stayed alive so far was beyond him, but he was thankful for her unnatural strength against the effects of alcohol.

Still, seeing her sprawled out on the couch looking like she had died weighed heavily on his chest. Just what was he getting himself into? He could hardly handle a woman as it was, and he had managed to get involved with one of the most dangerous women he knew.

Her hand shot out and grabbed hold of his coat collar, tugging him down desperately. She tried to lean up to look at him, but her eyes wouldn't focus and she collapsed back into the couch.

"Ugh… Don't leave, Leon." She murmured pathetically. "I drank too much…"

His heart fell at her miserable words, and he sat down beside her to stroke her hair.

"Yes, you did." He said gently.

"Are you drunk?" She asked. He was quiet for a moment.

"No, Tifa. I didn't drink anything." He finally admitted. It seemed to be the answer she'd been looking for, though, and she smiled.

"That's what I thought." She mumbled.

He continued to stroke her hair, and for a few minutes he thought she was sleeping. She quickly broke the silence, however.

"Leon, don't let me drink anymore." She said softly, looking up at him. He nodded slightly, wondering how serious she was about that.

"I don't need to, I have you now." She purred happily, throwing and arm around his waist and pulling herself closer to him. He stared down at her in surprise, and didn't hardly dare to move. After a few awkward moments, he realized she'd fallen asleep that way.

Gently arranging her back on the couch, he went up to her room and brought down some pillows and blankets. He was too tired to move her, so he threw a blanket over her and fell asleep on the floor beside the couch.

Several worrisome thoughts ran through his head before he managed to fall asleep. She seemed to think she really needed him, which was extremely troubling. She was still recovering from Cloud's betrayal, how would she feel once she could stand on her own again and didn't need him for emotional stability?

Cloud himself seemed to have it in for him. He wasn't sure how safe life was going to be with a former mercenary hating him.

_-Flashback-_

"_Just where the fuck where you, Leon?! Is it just me, or do people have a tendency to die around you?!" Cloud's angry words bit the air, piercing deeper into his heart than he knew they should have. _

_Sora stood nearby, eyes wide at the older man's outburst. The keyblade rested at his side uselessly, this wasn't the kind of fight he was particularly good at sorting out. Just one look at the boy told Leon that he was absorbing the blame himself, his features sinking with each passing insult. _

_That, in itself, made Leon angry. Sure, he should have kept a better eye out for danger, he had let down his guard, and Tifa was paying for it. But Sora had exhausted himself casting cure spells to keep her alive, and all Cloud was doing was laying down the blame. _

"_Like you're any better Strife! How many times did she nearly drink herself to death because you shoved her away? You married her best friend, and rubbed it in her face! I let down my guard once!" Leon shot back, outraged. Sora seemed even more stressed now, and stepped back. _

"_You were supposed to be protecting her!" Cloud roared, stepping towards Leon dangerously. _

"_So were you!" Leon shot back, stepping up to Cloud furiously. "Where were you anytime she needed you?!"_

_Those words seemed to hit home, and Cloud looked dazed for a moment. He glanced across the room, eyes widening as Aerith stepped into view. She was crying, and Sora walked over to put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. _

"_What's happened to you two?" She asked miserably, wiping the tears from her face. "Tifa's dying and you're in here pointing fingers." Despite her grief, her voice remained soft and musical, immediately calming everyone in the room. _

_Cloud look ashamed of himself, and Leon shook his head. He started for the door, desperate to see Tifa. _

"_She'll be fine." He told Aerith as he passed, nodding reassuringly as she gave him a hopeful smile. "She's survived worse…" _

_**End of Chapter Eight**_

_Wow, I'm actually pretty happy with this chapter._


	9. Some Kind of Ending

**Disclaimer: **I don't own KHII.

**Note: **Last chapter, kids! I really didn't want it to be, but school started and I have hardly any free time. I get about 4 hours a week to myself, and I'm sure you all understand that I have other things I'd like to do. It's been fun, maybe I'll have find dig up some time to add a one-shot sequel or something if I get any more reviews for this.

Thanks so much for all the reviews! I really appreciate all of them, it's really awesome to hear how much you've enjoyed this story.

**Chapter Nine**

"_Just because you save someone, doesn't mean they'll be grateful."_

"Tifa." He said quietly, watching her as she neatly folded the clothing previous hanging in her closet. She leaned down to put it into the duffel bag sitting on her bed, and he wondered if she was trying to make a point of ignoring him. He couldn't remember doing anything to upset her, but she was certainly up to something.

"Tifa." He said again, hoping that maybe this time she would at least be annoyed enough to respond.

She still didn't seem to notice him standing in the doorway to her bedroom, and shoved the remaining stack of shirts into her bag before yanking open a dresser drawer.

This was how he had found her this morning, when she failed to answer the door. He had let himself in and was greeted by the sight of her belongings sorted out into what she needed and what was staying in storage in Hollow Bastian.

"Tifa, what are you doing?" He asked calmly. It wasn't his place to try and stop her, but he couldn't fight the somewhat alarmed feeling rising up inside him at the thought that she would actually leave.

She finally sighed loudly and turned around, her hair sweeping gracefully around her. She gave him something between a glare and a desperate, pleading look and started picking out clothing from her dresser to take with her.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" She said sharply. He couldn't tell if she was upset with him or herself now.

"It looks like you're going somewhere." He stated flatly, returning her dark, sideways glance with his own. He caught her irritated smile before she turned around, and stepped further into the room.

"I told you, I hate it here." She said to her duffel bag. It was nearly full of clothing, and he watched in amusement as she struggled to zip it up. Tifa turned and set the bag by her door, pausing for a moment in front of Leon before pulling a new bag out from under her bed.

"So you're leaving? Just like that?" He said quietly. If she really wanted to leave, he knew there wasn't anything he could do to change her mind. But maybe she didn't want to leave as much as she thought.

She paused over her bag, looking down at the few personal belongings she hadn't thrown away out of anger yet.

"I don't want to hurt anymore. I want to go somewhere and forget about it. Everything here is so painful, I just don't think I can do it." She whispered. Leon stared at her as she hurried to shove several more things in before sneaking in a bit more clothing and zipping up the bag. She moved across the room and grabbed the other bag before disappearing down the stairs.

Halfway down the street Leon caught up to her and took one of the bags. She eyed him for a moment, but he didn't seem too intent on stealing her luggage to keep her here.

"Tifa, almost everyone here has painful memories. A lot of people died when the city was overrun by heartless. A lot of families were broken, a lot of people suffered." He said gently. She looked up at him sadly.

"So why doesn't anyone move away?" Tifa asked quietly.

"Because it reminds them of all the happy memories they had, too. Memories of lost loved ones and the time they got to spend with them." He replied, his voice quiet and solemn.

Tifa was quiet for several minutes, thinking about what he'd said. She glanced up at him every few minutes, but he wasn't paying any attention to her. There was a distant look on his face, and she suddenly felt very selfish.

Cid's gummi hangar loomed into view up ahead. It really wasn't much, just a large shed that he parked gummi ships in to work on them, but he liked to call it the hangar to make it sound important. Leon followed her silently as she walked around the open door into the hangar. She waved to Cid as he looked up from the papers he was leaning over, and he hurried forward. He let out a gruff hello and gestured towards the large open landing space out behind the shed.

"Tifa, are you sure you want to do this?" He asked around his cigarette. Tifa gave him a shaky smile and nodded.

"I paid for the ship, didn't I?" She said confidently. He nodded, his face falling as he led them to the small ship she had requested. He gave her the keys and glanced between her and Leon for a moment.

"Are you goin' with her?" He asked Leon, his voice sounding a bit hopeful. If Leon was surprised by the suggestion, Tifa couldn't tell. Cid glanced between them again before nodding. "I see, ya didn't talk about it yet." She smiled gratefully as he stalked away across the yard to examine another gummi ship that looked like it needed some parts.

"Leon-"

"I can't Tifa." He said quickly, setting her bag down and reaching out to take her hand. His eyes were sad, but his face was calm. His head was bowed slightly, and she felt like she might actually cry.

"I know…" She said softly.

He pulled her into a hug, and she wiped her eyes carefully. He released her after a moment and made a point of stepping back a little far.

"You know, it's just… Everything hurts so much, I need some time to calm down and let go." She murmured. Leon nodded in understanding.

There was a long, awkward moment of silence before Tifa managed to organize her thoughts.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, I guess I was just hoping I could talk myself out of it and forget about it. I didn't even tell Yuffie…" Her voice cracked slightly and Leon took her hand again.

"It's alright, she'll understand." He said quietly.

Tifa sighed heavily. "Before I go, I really wanted to tell you… I think I love you, but I'm so broken up about Cloud still that I just don't know. I don't know if I do, I don't know if I'm alright with it, I don't even know if I want to be in love ever again. But the time I had with you was really great, I haven't been that happy in a long time. Thank you for helping me so much. I'm so sorry things are turning out this way…" She was starting to tear up once again and paused to wipe up her face a bit and lean in to give Leon a rushed kiss.

She reached down and grabbed her bags, turning sharply and marching over to the door of the gummi ship. She turned back and smiled over at him again.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with me, Leon? You could use an adventure." She said hopefully.

Leon sighed gently, bowing his head and letting his lips part, trying to figure out just what it was he wanted.

**x:X:x**

"Hey, where's Tifa?" Yuffie asked sharply as Leon walked into the room. He gave her a dark, deeply pained glare and ignored her. He shuffled through a stack of papers before finding the one he was looking for and rushing back out of the room.

"What the hell was that?" Yuffie looked up at Aerith as she watched the doorway worriedly. "He's been obsessed with work for the past two days straight! What happened to Tifa?"

Aerith looked back down at the young ninja and sighed. No one had had the heart to tell her.

"Yuffie, Tifa left town again." She said quickly, closing her eyes slightly at the thought of how torn up both her and Leon must be.

"What?!" Yuffie shrieked, dropping the book she'd been looking through. "She didn't even say anything to me! What happened? Did they get in a nasty fight?" She rushed over to Aerith, who suddenly looked very alarmed.

"No one knows, really. Cid didn't say anything until she'd already left, and Leon hasn't really talked at all." She said miserably.

Yuffie leaned back against the wall in shock. "Poor Leon… Do you think she'll ever come back?" She looked up at the older woman with wide, hurt eyes.

Aerith shook her head. "Of course she'll come back eventually, but none of us did much to deserve her company…"

**x:X:x**

"Hey Leon."

He looked up to see Cloud walking toward him, barely illuminated in the darkness. It was well past midnight, and Leon was sitting on the city wall, watching the stars.

"Cloud." He acknowledged the man tiredly with a short nod of his head. The man invited himself to sit down beside Leon and they watched the sky silently for a while.

Cloud broke the silence first, clearing his throat awkwardly. "I'm sorry for how I acted about you and Tifa…" He said quietly. Leon's gaze fell down to the horizon as he listened. "She's not a little kid, I shouldn't have tried to treat her like she was. Maybe if I hadn't she would have stayed." He shifted slightly and glanced over at Leon. "I never wanted to chase her off like that…"

Leon could hear the regret in his voice, and he knew that if it was light enough, there would be a hint of pain in his eyes.

"Would you go after her?" Cloud asked quietly. Leon thought about it for a moment. "I bet I could track her down. Despite what you probably think, I do know her pretty well."

Leon finally shook his head. "No, I don't think that's what she wanted."

Cloud smiled. "No, but maybe that's what it takes to get her attention. She has a strong mind, you really have to struggle with her. I think that's why I could never be with her. It seems pretty ironic now, she always used to know what was best for me and try to tell me what to do with my life." He sighed gently, as if sifting through his memories was getting too tiresome.

"She'll come back." He said reassuringly. He got up from his seat beside Leon and walked several feet down the road. "I'm not really sure what she's up to, but when she figures things out she'll come back."

**x:X:x **

Once again, it was well past midnight. The sun was nowhere near rising, but any moment now it might start thinking about it. Leon was leaning against the thick stone wall around the city, hidden from view behind a row of stores and small shops. There was a light glow from the perpetual lights shining on the town square, and things were just bright enough that he could see.

He was taping light sips from a bottle of _her_ favorite vodka. He wasn't usually one to drink alone, if at all, but the night seemed to call for it.

Soft footsteps caught his attention, and he looked up from his spot on the ground. He couldn't really say he was surprised to see her, though his heart did skip a beat when she crouched down and say beside him. They were quiet for a moment, unable to meet the other's gaze. He finally offered her the bottle, and she let out a soft laugh.

"I told you not to let me drink anymore." She whispered, giving him a playful grin.

Leon bowed his head, staring down at the ground. "What are you doing here, Tifa?" He asked gruffly. A soft, almost musical giggle reached his ears and then she hummed happily.

"I'm keeping you company, because you're so lonely you're becoming an alcoholic." She said with a smile, tilting her head to one side and gesturing towards the bottle he had placed on the ground in front of her.

He was quiet, considering her words for a few long minutes. Was it really that bad? She had only been gone for a few weeks…

"Don't kid yourself, Leon, I've been gone for six months." He looked up sharply at her and she smiled calmly in reply. He watched her suspiciously, glancing between her and the untouched vodka bottle next to his feet.

"You're not really here, are you?" He said in disappointment. She sighed lightly.

"No, of course not." Her voice was low and sad, and he couldn't help but look up at her.

"What do I need to do? Why can't I just get on with my life?" He said almost desperately, throwing his hands out to the sides. Tifa smiled absently.

"Come on, what do you really think?" She laughed and Leon cursed softly under his breath.

"First of all, why don't you wake up?" She added gently, leaning forward. He watched with wide eyes as she bent down and kissed him, her lips as cold as ice for one shocking moment.

"Leon!"

He shot up from where he'd fallen asleep, leaned over the table in what was now only Yuffie's apartment. Looking around in surprised disappointment, he noticed Yuffie standing over him with a worried expression on her face.

"Leon, this has got to stop! Look at what you're doing to yourself! I thought you were dead when I came home last night, with you passed out on my kitchen table!" Yuffie was waving an empty vodka bottle in his face, finally slamming it down on the table and sighing.

"I have never seen you like this, Leon, you're really starting to scare me." She said gently. His eyes finally managed to focus, and he couldn't miss the worry etched on her face. He stared at her in dazed confusion for a few moments, and she finally sighed and shook her head, turning on her heel and marching out the door.

He leaned back and brushed a hand through his hair, cursing gently under his breath once again.

**x:X:x**

It was raining softly, pattering down on rooftops and splashing into small puddles. It brought with it the cold, crisp scent of a rainstorm, much needed since the past few weeks had been too dry. People hurried back and forth down the dimly lit streets, the sun sinking low in the sky despite it being close to three in the afternoon. Days in Traverse Town were usually short, something she found herself cherishing in contrast to the bright days of her home.

Small droplets of water landed gently on her skin, and she looked up to enjoy the feel of the rain on her face. The air was still and slightly muggy, and she sighed contentedly as the rain began to clear the atmosphere. Nodding a quick goodbye to the woman just inside the window, she started along the sparsely populated streets. Most of the townspeople had already run for shelter from the rain, leaving the streets nearly empty for the children escaping their parents to play in the puddles.

Tifa smiled to herself as she walked by a group of boys, taking turns jumping and splashing in a pool of water being fed by the gutters of a nearby house. She continued down the street, her shoes splashing quietly in the shallow standing water.

The usual hum of the town was drowned out by the sound of rain, and she couldn't help but smile to herself as she walked along. A light orange glow colored the buildings around her as the sun began to set, a few beams of dying sunshine still breaking through the scattered clouds. Gentle grey storm clouds were illuminated a bright pink, and beyond them she could still see traces of blue sky gradually turning darker as stars glittered to life. Another perfect day, beautiful in the unsavory weather.

The streets were nearly void of people as she finally came around the corner of a building and through the doors to the second district. It was growing steadily darker, and she nodded a greeting as a woman hurried past with a smile, tugging along a complaining child.

It began to rain harder, and she paused to pull her hood up over her head, finally having enough of the refreshing rain. She had just turned down an alleyway when she noticed a dark form looming up ahead, almost hidden in the shadows of the buildings around them. Her footsteps faltered for a moment, and she wondered if maybe she should turn back. Shaking her head, she dismissed the idea and continued down the alley.

She hadn't gotten far before she stepped in a puddle, and the splash echoed between the buildings until the figure turned and noticed her there. Hugging her arms around herself, she picked up her pace, refusing to look up from the ground as she hurried down the alley.

Just as she brushed past the dark form lurking in the shadows, loud, scuffling footsteps caught her attention, and a hand fell heavily on her arm. Tifa spun around with a startled gasp, ready to retaliate. Her automatically clenched fist relaxed in midair, and he caught her hand as she stared up at him in surprise.

"Leon…"

_**The End**_

_A/n: And there you have it. Let your imagination do the work from here! The last half of this chapter was a lot of fun to write, but this is the third revision. Hell, this isn't even the original ending for this story, but I got so many reviews from people expressing much love for Leon and Tifa, I just couldn't bring myself to end it the way I was originally going to; with Tifa leaving and Leon getting on with his life without her. Much like Paradise Kiss, love is not always a good enough reason to stay with someone. But it is in this story, cuz that's what I felt like putting in. One again I'd like to thank all of the people who reviewed, I would list your names here but I'm just so damn lazy. Much love, everyone! If you keep an eye on my deviantART, you might catch some fanart sketches soon. If I can find them. _


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